Cry of a Wolf
by LiLover131
Summary: Days have passed since Sakura and the others arrived in Hong Kong to visit Syaoran. However, they never thought they would come into the face of Syaoran's greatest enemy. And what about these new powers Syaoran has? Why are they dangerous? CHAPTER 43 UP!
1. Prologue

_**Disclaimer: I don't own ccs or the characters! Although, I wish I did!**_

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**Cry of a Wolf- Prologue**

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Syaoran Li sat quietly by a cherry blossom tree in the garden of the Li mansion. The flowing cherry blossoms fluttered down like the feathers, and each blossom reminded him of his beloved back in Tomoeda, Japan. The amber-eyed warrior blushed crimson at the vision of his love smiling the way she often did. The girl who shared the same name as the radiant petals before him, Sakura Kinomoto, was the girl who held his heart.

As he was lost in his thoughts of Sakura, five pairs of eyes stared at him from a window in the mansion…

"He's so cute when he's blushing," said Feimei, Syaoran's eldest sister. The three other sisters Futtie, Shieta, and Fanren, nodded in agreement.

"He's thinking about Ying Fa again," Yelan, his mother said (Ying Fa- Sakura in Chinese).

"It must be hard for Syao to go through love…without father," said Futtie.

Yelan looked down with a saddened expression on her face. Futtie mentally slapped herself in realization.

"Oh, I'm sorry Mother! I didn't mean to bring back bad memories!"

Yelan caressed her daughters face with a look of forgiveness.

"It's okay Futtie, it's only natural for us to mourn. A loss such as that can never be forgotten, nor should we try to forget it," Yelan spoke insightfully. The sisters smiled at their mother and focused their attention back to their little brother.

"Now…let's go annoy Syaoran!" said Feimei. The four sisters nodded in agreement and cheered before darting outside, causing the brunette boy to yelp in surprise. Yelan watched her four daughters bombard Syaoran with hugs and kisses. Watching this scene brought a smile to her face, but a longing for her deceased husband to be there with her.

"Kyo, I hope you're seeing this as well…they are all growing up so nicely," Yelan whispered to herself before stepping back inside the mansion.

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_**End of Prologue…**_

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**Lilover131: How is it so far? It will get better, I promise! Chapters will come pretty fast since I write in notebooks before typing. Reviews would be nice, but only if you want to! And flames are welcome! I can't learn what I'm doing wrong if someone doesn't tell me! Many thanks! Oh, and may Syaoran forever remain hot! Lol.**


	2. The Dream

_**Disclaimer: I don't own ccs or the characters! Although, I wish I did!**_

**Lilover131: Here's the first chapter people! I hope you like it! ^^**

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**Cry of a Wolf- Chapter One: The Dream**

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Li Yelan tossed and turned on her bed from the nightmare that haunted her.

Darkness loomed over the forest she stood in, and the only light that could be seen was that of the moon above. The only sound that could be heard was a low howl, and as she searched for the source of the howling, she found that the closer she came to it, the lighter the forest became. She finally found the source, and there stood a small wolf cub. Yelan smiled and reached out to touch the strangely familiar and somewhat comforting creature.

However, she heard the faint sound of hissing and rustling through the bushes. The wolf seemingly noticed the intruder's presence when it ceased it's howling. Suddenly, a long, scale-covered animal shot out from the returning darkness. A black snake with blood red stripes lunged itself at the wolf, and before the pup could evade the snake's lightning fast attack, it was bitten on the front left leg.

Yelan gasped as haunting cackle echoed throughout the forest and the light from the moon dissipated completely to the unyielding black that then surrounded her.

Yelan immediately rose in her bed, drenched in sweat. She sighed in relief that it was just a dream, and as she lifted herself into a more comfortable sitting position, she took a glance at the clock. It was a little earlier than when she usually woke up, but after that awful nightmare, she needed to get some fresh air.

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**_In Syaoran's Room_**

Syaoran glanced at his surroundings, and vaguely recognized the forest trapping him. The forest was so dark that he could barely make out the trees in front of him, let alone anything that could possibly be hiding within them. Syaoran saw a figure come into view, though he was more surprised that he could see anything at all. On instinct, he ran towards the suspicious figure at a great speed, being careful to avoid trees as they came close enough to spot. When he reached the person, he continued to approach, his amber eyes squinting to get a better look. The light of the moon shone through the clearing they stood in. When the person stepped into the moonlight, the only source of light that there was, and revealed himself, Syaoran's eyes opened wide. The person was not at all who he expected it to be, but the face was undoubtedly one that belonged to his father, Li Kyo.

Syaoran was shocked, but he was happy nonetheless. He stood with uncertainty, not exactly knowing what was the right thing to do in this situation. It had been such a long time since he had seen his father, even if it was in only in his dreams, and he had almost forgotten what he looked like.

"O-Otousan," Syaoran said stuttering slightly (Otousan- father). He couldn't remember the last time he used that word. He never thought he would be able to use it again to address anyone after his death. Despite the reasoning for his sudden appearance, he ran to the comfort of his father. As he embraced his father, he was also rewarded with the same. Syaoran wished that this had been reality rather than just a dream; his father and him were together again. Sadly, that was a promise that simply couldn't be kept.

"Otousan! You're here!" Syaoran said with one of his rare smiles. This was something he could not help in the presence of his father. Kyo smiled back down at his son.

"Yes, I am all here, but I wish it was more than just to say hello."

Syaoran frowned disappointedly.

"But, this is just a dream…right?" Syaoran asked, confused.

"Syaoran…this is a dream. However, I _am_ here in spirit," Kyo answered. "Really? How? Why? Why are you here?" Syaoran asked questioningly.

"I am here to warn you of a danger," Kyo told Syaoran with a grim expression. The man had hardly ever worn such an emotion on his face, and the boy knew when to take his father very seriously.

"What kind of danger?" Syaoran asked with curiosity. Before Kyo could utter an answer to Syaoran's question, a strange sound came from the trees, and a creature moved in waves along the ground at a frightening speed. The slithering reptile hissed at Syaoran and Kyo, revealing its sharp, bloodthirsty fangs.

'_Where have I seen that snake before?'_ Syaoran thought to himself.

"It's him," Kyo said, glaring at the snake.

"Who?" Syaoran asked, but his father began to disappear into the light that had surely claimed him once before.

"I guess my time is up here," Kyo said after a deep sigh. Syaoran shook his head frantically in denial. Why was it that he had to be taken back so soon? The man could sense his son's distress, and he gently rested his hand upon his head.

"Take care, Syaoran…I'll always be watching over you, your mother, and your sisters," Kyo told his son as he faded rapidly. Syaoran nodded and was deeply saddened that his father was leaving him once again, but he was aware that this couldn't be helped.

Unfortunately, the snake that remained there did not halt from attacking the boy. Upon his will, the jia blade of the Li clan that had been passed down to him appeared in his hands. Without hesitating, he gripped onto the sword and sliced the snake in half. He grinned in success, but like a mythological creature from a horror movie, the snake halves formed into two separate snakes and flung at him again. Syaoran recognized this pattern quickly and pulled out an ofuda paper instead before shouting out an incantation.

"GOD OF THUNDER, ANSWER MY CALL!" Syaoran yelled, and a bolt of lightning shot out from the small paper and struck down on the snakes. The reptiles were destroyed, and without warning, an ominous laugh traveled through the forest.

"Who are you?" Syaoran yelled, searching for the source of the laugh that left his blood running cold.

"It's been a long time, little wolf," the dark voice said. Syaoran held his sword up defensively without knowing what to expect. Its presence was familiar, yet he couldn't quite remember where he had come across such magic before. The aura then could be felt right behind him…

He felt a freezing hand plant itself on his shoulder, evoking a shiver at the almost painful touch. Syaoran turned to face the most petrifying red eyes he had ever seen. He saw the figure grin at his frightened expression.

"SYAORAN!" he heard someone scream his name, almost like a memory, and felt a sharp, ghostly pain on his arm.

Syaoran awoke, panting heavily. After a moment of regaining himself, he glanced to his doorway, where his mother had entered, and her expression was filled with concern.

"Are you all right?" Yelan asked.

"Yes, Mother. I'm fine," he answered. Yelan watched Syaoran stand and walk slowly approach her. Syaoran had long shaken the nightmare from his mind once he reached her, and as a change of subject, he observed his mother's appearance, which seemed slightly different. He was quick to realize that this was because Yelan had her hair down when it was normally up in a high and elegant ponytail.

"Mother, your hair is down. It looks nice. It almost looks like silk," Syaoran said. Yelan's dark eyes widened slightly at the compliment.

"Did I say something wrong?" Syaoran asked in small concern.

"No. It's just that your father used to say the same thing," Yelan said with a smile on her pale face. For a moment, Syaoran looked surprised, but he grinned at the fond memories of his father.

"Now, shall we have breakfast?" Yelan asked. Syaoran nodded in agreement, and followed his mother to the kitchen.

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**_End of Chapter One_**

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**Lilover131: How was the first chapter? Did you like it? Once again, it will get better! Please send reviews! And remember that flames are also welcome. Next chapter will come real soon! Thanks for being great readers!**


	3. The not so happy Birthday part 1

_**Disclaimer: I do not own ccs or the characters! Although, I wish I did!**_

**Lilover131: Here's chapter two! I hope you like it!**

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**Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Two: The not so happy Birthday Part 1**

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Yelan and Syaoran walked quietly through the mansion to the large, open kitchen area. The aroma of chocolate chip pancakes filled the kitchen. However, despite the calming and delicious smells, when Syaoran entered, he was soon bombarded with affection from his four older sisters.

"Ahhh! Get off of me!" Syaoran screamed.

"Hello, dear brother! We made you chocolate chip pancakes!" the sisters cheered in unison. Syaoran stared at the pancakes as if there were a label on it saying 'poison'.

"What do you want?" Syaoran asked.

"Nothing," the sisters said once again in complete harmony.

"Then, what's the occasion?" Syaoran asked quite confused. His sisters stared at him in shock, as if he were blind.

"What?" Syaoran asked, wondering as to why his sisters were staring at him like he was ill.

"How could you have forgotten your own BIRTHDAY?" Feimei finally spouted out. Syaoran blinked and walked over to the calendar hanging on the wall nearby. Indeed, it was his birthday…July 13th. He looked downwards to the floor, a little disappointed.

"What's wrong?" Fanren asked. Syaoran stepped out of the room, with his sisters following, and headed to the front door. Looking around in all directions first, he then cautiously opened the door. The moment he did, a giant pile of nicely wrapped boxes flooded into the room, and Syaoran knowingly moved to the side, avoiding the avalanche.

Syaoran pointed to the presents.

"That's what's wrong," Syaoran said with a slightly annoyed look on his face. His eye twitched at the overdose of shiny paper and ribbons.

"Wowwww, you're popular Syao!" his sisters said.

"Every year, it's the same," Syaoran said with a sigh, his fingers gripping the bridge of his nose.

"Come and eat the pancakes we made, Syao!" his sisters said in attempt to cheer him up. However, the boy saw this as somewhat of a trap, since normally when they made chocolate chip pancakes, it meant they wanted something from him. Even so, Syaoran took a bite from the stack on his plate. He had to admit…he _loved _chocolate chip pancakes. All the sisters could do was smile at their little brother's grin of satisfaction and the small dab of chocolate on the sides of his mouth.

Once he finished the pancakes, his chocolate addiction was fed even further with a warm mug of hot cocoa. While sipping his beverage, he looked outside the window. Outside the pane of glass was the Li garden, which held the cherry blossom tree he had come to adore. The tree billowed in the wind, and his heart unconsciously began to beat at a faster tempo. How was it that every beautiful thing remind him of her?

"Syaoran!" he heard, but not quickly enough to respond before he was tackled right out of his seat. The boy snapped himself out of his daze, crying out in surprise, and glanced to discover that Meilin had been the assailant.

"Get off of me, Meilin!" Syaoran yelled, pushing her gently off of him. Meilin released her death grip on him with an apologetic look on her face.

"Sorry, but you were in such daze, I had to snap you out of it!" Meilin said.

"You were thinking about Sakura again, weren't you?" Feimei asked with a devilish look on her face. Syaoran blushed bright red.

"No, I wasn't!" Syaoran lied.

"Oh really?" his sisters said grinning evilly. The girls surrounded him, their eyes almost seeming to make him feel smaller. They all knew Syaoran was a horrible liar. After all, it was in his nature to tell the truth.

Meilin pulled out a huge box wrapped in metallic green wrapping paper with hearts drawn all over it in what appeared to be red glittery fabric paint. Even though Syaoran had a lover now, that did not mean she still couldn't show her cousin some love, right?

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Meilin squealed with delight as she shoved the big box in his arms.

"Uh…thanks" Syaoran said inspecting the box. The box felt strange and was almost vibrating as if something was moving in it.

"Is this another one of your cake experiments?" Syaoran asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, why?" Meilin asked in confusion.

"Because the box is moving," he answered. The sisters giggled, but Meilin was not amused.

Whatever was in the box was definitely alive. The boy wondered if Meilin was the only person crazy enough to wrap up a living thing. The content wanted to get out of the box desperately, and thus it rammed itself and the box out of Syaoran's hands.

" Hey Syaoran! I don't think the box likes you!" said Futtie both teasingly and a little freaked out.

Syaoran could sense his family's impatience, waiting for him to open the present. He gently picked up the box and opened the gift delicately as to not harm whatever was inside. As soon as he opened it, a gray animal, much like a puppy, jumped onto Syaoran and began licking his face. After the initial surprise of having been jumped on, he observed the features more carefully and was shocked to see that this was no dog, but a wolf cub. The wolf had amber eyes, much like his, and its nose was wet and black as it nuzzled into his neck. Syaoran noticed it had a gold collar with emerald-like stones embedded in it, and its radiant soft coat of fur was like specks of silver. He finally wrenched the little cub off his face and let it lay on his lap as he found himself instinctively petting the gentle animal.

"Oops! I guess he really wanted to get out," Meilin said.

"You put a baby wolf in a _box_?" Syaoran said.

"Don't worry, it's only been in there for five minutes, and I poked holes in the box so it could breathe!" Meilin assured. She did not want to be blamed for making an animal suffer or anything. Syaoran looked the wolf in the face, and the little wolf, unrestrained, began licking his face again.

"It seems the little cub has taken a liking to you," Syaoran heard his mother say.

"It's sooooooooo CUTE!" the four sister's squealed in delight as they attempted to pick up the wolf. Unsurprisingly, the cub seemed frightened of them and leapt out of the boy's arms to hide behind his leg. Syaoran knelt over the wolf and began petting it gently to soothe its nerves.

"Thank you, Meilin. I'll take good care of it," Syaoran said with a grateful smile.

"That's only one part of your gift," Meilin said with a wink.

"Eh?" he muttered in confusion. Why was it that his cousin had to always go over the top with things?

"Yep. But it won't get here till later tonight," Meilin said.

"Thank you for the gift, Meilin. Syaoran needs to get dressed now," Yelan said with a grateful look of her own.

"All right, Aunt Yelan. See you later tonight!" Meilin nearly sang as she bounced out the door.

Syaoran, following his mother's command, walked up the stairs to his bedroom, with the wolf following. It was not difficult to pick out a comfortable outfit, and he changed out of his green pajamas. As he did so, he could not help but notice the faint scar along his arm. The scar was a constant reminder of the day his father died. However, he could barely remember what really happened before he woke up after the incident. Syaoran's thoughts instantly trailed to the awful memories of that day…

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_**Flashback**_

A young 4 year-old Syaoran awoke on his bed to feel a throbbing sensation in his arm, which he saw had been bandaged up with care. Across the room, he could faintly see his sisters sobbing uncontrollably in their mother's arms.

"Why… is everyone crying?" the dazed boy spoke. No one uttered a word, and the room was filled with silence.

"What happened?" Syaoran asked quietly. Still no answer.

"Where's father?" he asked, noticing that his father was not in the room. The girls appeared pained by the question, which only made him more curious. Before he could ask again, they finally responded.

Yelan drifted over to her son. The woman looked broken, and the young boy was truly frightened at what could have made his mother wear such a face. Before she told him the heart breaking news, the tears that threatened to spill were no longer held in. Syaoran had never seen his mother cry before, which came as quite a shock.

"Your father…" Yelan started as she placed her hands on his shoulders. Her grip was shaky as she struggled to get her words out.

"…Isn't coming back…" she finished. Before she could say anything more, she placed her head in her hands and cried until she could cry no more.

Syaoran's eyes widened from shock. He struggled to get up off the bed and ran stumbling to where his father had been, hoping to convince himself that he was still alive.

'_No! Otousan can't be dead! He can't!'_ Syaoran thought to himself as he ran through the mansion. Despite his family's cries to return back to the bed, he continued to run. He opened the door to the Li garden, and ran through the pouring rain to where his father had last been. When he did not find him, he rushed over the soggy earth back into the home and into his father's bedroom, his feet staining the carpet with dirt.

His father was dried off of rain, but he was unmoving, cold, and his eyes closed as if in a deep sleep. However, when he did not wake, the boy came to a grim realization. His father was gone. Syaoran collapsed to his knees. Yelan and the sister's watched Syaoran as tears spilled and flooded over his cheeks. His sobbing surpassed the sound of the low rolling thunder. Not able to bear it any longer, the girls all ran into the room and embraced Syaoran tightly, trying their best to comfort him.

**_End of Flashback_**

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Syaoran was believed to have turned cold hearted after his father's death, and thus focusing on training and his strength. Unfortunately, he remained this way around people other than his family…at least, until he met Sakura. She filled the gaping hole inside of him and gave him so much more. Not only did she turn him into the kind, warm, person he used to be…but she also captured his heart.

Syaoran knew that his journey through life was far from over. He was still so young, and the opportunities were opening wide. With this thought in mind, he and his new pet left the room quietly, wondering what more was in store for them today.

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**_Elsewhere_**

"So, are you ready to see him tonight?" Meilin asked, speaking to a person on the other line of her phone.

"Am I ready? I'm so excited, I can't sit still!" said the voice. Meilin smiled.

"W-What if…" the voice started.

"What if, what?" Meilin asked.

"What if…he doesn't have the same feelings for me anymore?"

"Are you kidding? He sits by that cherry blossom tree every day, thinking about you!" Meilin screamed.

"Really?" the voice said sounding a tad embarrassed.

"Of course! He's madly in love with you!" Meilin assured.

"T-Thank you."

"See you tonight, Meilin!" the voice said.

"See you tonight, Miss Kinomoto," Meilin said before hanging up the phone. She grinned at the thought of how happy Syaoran would be to see Sakura again.

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**_End of Chapter Two..._**

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**Lilover131: Another chapter down, like a bazillion to go! How was that chapter? Please send reviews! Stay tuned for the next chapter! ^^**


	4. The not so happy Birthday part 2

_**Disclaimer: I do not own ccs or the characters! Although, I wish I did!**_

**Lilover131: Another chapter! I hope you like it! Oh, and thank you to the people who sent reviews! You guys are the greatest!**

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**Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Three: The not so happy Birthday part 2**

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Syaoran stood by an all too familiar gravestone, his expression sorrowful as he read the engraved letters that read his father's name. It was difficult to visit sometimes, since he could still smell the fresh earth that had been dug on the day of his burial. The wolf cub that he had recently received as a gift nuzzled against his leg, staring at the grave with great intensity. The teen smiled and sat down in front of the stone, beginning his occasional conversation with his father.

"Hey, Otousan...I guess it's been a while since I came to visit..."

As he spoke, it was hard to not be reminded of the funeral.

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**_Flashback_**

Syaoran watched his father's casket being lowered into the ground, and his sister's at the sight of their fallen family member. Yelan had tried to remain strong during the funeral, but even she could not hold back all her tears. However, no matter how sad Syaoran was, he could not find the will to cry. He made a promise that he wouldn't cry over him, not only to his father, but to himself as well. Perhaps it was not fair to be asked such a thing, but it was only natural that Kyo would nto want to see him in pain. Unfortunately, he could not hide the pain in his eyes, even amongst the blank expression on his face. He showed no emotions, although he felt many.

There was sadness and grief for the loss of his father, and he also felt anger towards the man who killed him. All these emotions were conflicting within him, but above all, he also felt determination to become the best leader the Li clan had ever seen. He wanted to make his father proud. He started training by the side of his cousin, Meilin, and over the years, he learned how to turn his sadness and anger into determination. He needed all the motivation he could get if he wanted to be the best.

These emotions made him seem a little more cold and unfeeling, since he grew distant from other people, however he kept many of his emotions hidden within his heart and botttled up, except on rare occasions.

For example, Syaoran and his guardian Wei were walking one evening when they heard the low sound of thunder and someone crying…

The two went to get a closer look to the source of the sobbing, and when they found it, they realized that it was Syaoran's cousin, Meilin.

"What's wrong?" Wei asked with a concerned look etched on his face.

"T-The bird," mumbled Meilin pointing to an empty birdcage.

"I-It flew away… I loved it… my aunt gave it to me!" Meilin said as she broke down crying. Syaoran watched his cousin cry, and he felt an all-new emotion. He felt…pity…pity for his cousin Meilin. When he approached her, she almost appeared frightened until he handed her his handkerchief. He felt a pang of guilt that he had made her afraid like that, but he hated to see tears even more.

"Don't cry," Syaoran said in attempt to cheer her up. Meilin took the handkerchief slowly, her eyes wide with surprise at his sudden show of kindness. Once she seized her crying, he ran off into the distance, knowing what needed to be done.

"Master Syaoran! Where are you going?" Wei yelled after him.

"I'm going to go look for it!" Syaoran yelled back without stopping. He ran past the Chinese buildings at quite a speed with only one thought in mind: find the bird. As impossible as it seemed to find one specific bird, especially in Hong Kong, he felt he knew exactly where to find it. It was a bizarre moment… he couldn't understand it. Then, it began to rain…and Syaoran continued to run, skimming a branch with his shoulder and tearing his shirt along the way.

_'What am I doing?'_ Syaoran thought to himself. Despite the thoughts that lingered in his head, he continued his search. Even when he tripped into the cold, wet grass, he got back up and continued to run again.

Eventually, he finally stopped to catch a breath and was startled as he heard a chirping in the tree he was resting by. Alarmed by the sound, he reacted quickly. He climbed the tree like a wild cat, and finally spotted a bright red bird. Although he had never actually seen Meilin's bird before, he could sense that this one belonged to her, and Syaoran gently grabbed the bird, covering from the rain with his hand. Once he was ready to run again, he began his long trip back to the Li residence with the bird sheltered in his hands. Upon his return, Meilin was waiting there for him in the pouring rain.

The girl quickly approached him, without fear or hesitation. With the rain still dripping off of his small form, he opened his cupped hands to reveal the once lost bird. When Meilin smiled, the feeling of pity slowly washed away. He felt satisfied at having helped his cousin, and the sensation left him feeling warmer than he had in a long time.

"It's this bird, right?" Syaoran asked. How could Meilin be happy if it wasn't the cherished bird she loved? Suddenly, she began to cry again, and her arms hugged around his neck tightly. It was obvious that he had found the right one, but he was incredibly confused about Meilin's reaction.

_'__If her cherished bird has been returned…then why does she still cry?' _Syaoran thought. Wei, his humbleg guardian, came quickly with an umbrella and covered the two from the drenching rain, and the boy nodded to him out of gratefulness. He was certainly cold, but he was more worried about his cousin to care about his own self.

'_Could she have been…worried about me?'_ Syaoran realized. When she had started her crying, he found himself asking her if she was in pain, but he had trouble understanding the depth of her emotions towards him. As she continued to cling to him, Syaoran could do nothing but stare into the rain.

_**End of Flashback**_

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Syaoran was so deep in thought that when his mother called for him he nearly jumped.

"Syaoran! Come inside! It's almost time for your party!" Yelan shouted to her son. Before Syaoran responded to her command, he placed a single peony by his father's grave and a prayer of thanks. Every year that he lived, he liked to thank his father by visiting his grave and placing a peony by the stone. The little wolf he had received as a birthday gift followed Syaoran back into the house after making a silent prayer of its own.

When Syaoran arrived in the building, his four sisters shoved presents in his face, which were all wrapped in different kinds of green paper.

"…T-thank you," Syaoran said. The first gift was opened with care, and inside were green pajamas with wolf paw prints on it. The second gift also revealed the exact same kind of pajamas, as did the other two. The boy stared, his eyes examining what differences there might have been between the clothes, but he could not find any.

"Wow, we have great taste!" Feimei, the eldest sister said winking. Syaoran laughed a bit, amazed that his sisters could pick out exactly the same thing for him. Meilin sauntered in with a grin and gave her dear cousin a gentle, yet suffocating hug before the special cake had been centered on the table. The chocolate morsel was beautifully decorated, and Syaoran felt his mouth water.

Decadent chocolate icing covered every inch of the cake, and drawn on the cake with yellow icing were moons and roses. Around the base of the cake was Syaoran's name written around the edges and lined in green. And to top it all off, the traditional birthday candles were already placed and lit.

Syaoran flashed a grateful smile towards his family.

"Thank you, everyone. I appreciate everything you have done for me," Syaoran said bowing in respect. Yelan took the opportunity to reveal her gift and placed a wooden box on the table, adorned with gold chinese engravings.

When he opened the the lid, hidden within it was a gold medallion with the recognizable Li clan symbol. It may have seemed like an ordinary medallion, but there was much more to this golden symbol than what could be said in words. Syaoran recognized it almost immediately, and his eyes were like saucers at the sight of it.

"This is…" Syaoran started.

"It's the medallion your father used to wear…he would want you to have it," Yelan finished. Syaoran could only smile, since this gift was very precious.

Unknown to the happy family, Kyo's spirit was watching as well. Although, Kyo could feel that he was not the only one watching them. Kyo did remain happy for long, and he glared through the darkness of the woods nearby, spotting a pair of petrifying red eyes. However, as quickly as Kyo had seen them, they had disappeared.

Kyo, realizing that the presence was now gone, turned his attention back to his family. He smiled as they sang 'Happy Birthday' to Syaoran and laughed lightly in amusement as Syaoran blushed in embarrassment. When the song was done, they eagerly awaited for Syaoran to blow out the candles.

"Make a wish!" Meilin yelled. Syaoran closed his eyes, focusing on what to wish for. As a thought came into his head, he made the wish and knew exactly what he truly desired this year.

_'I wish Sakura was here...'_ Syaoran thought as he made the wish.

He blew out all fourteen candles effotlessly in one blow.

"Happy fourteenth Birthday, Syaoran!" the whole family said in unison.

"Now, before we all eat cake, it's time to give you the second part of your gift!" Meilin said. Syaoran watched carefully as Meilin walked out of the room, wondering what it was that she had kept hidden from him until now.

He then saw her walking back in, but she did not come in alone…the whole room gasped in surprise. The person who walked into the room was…Sakura Kinomoto.

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**_End of Chapter Three _**

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**Lilover131: how was that chapter? And the big question is "What will Syaoran's response be to this? And there will be a lot of stuff coming up, so keep reading! Please send reviews!**


	5. The not so happy Birthday part 3

_**Disclaimer: I don't own ccs or the characters! Although, I wish I did!**_

**Lilover131:I'm back! And I have another chapter for you! Here comes chapter five!**

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**Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Four: The not so happy Birthday part 3**

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The Li family all stared in astonishment at the visitor in their doorway. Sakura Kinomoto stood still as a stone with her face flushed in embarassment and seemed to have trouble keeping eye contact.

She was just as Syaoran had remembered. Her emerald eyes were more mesmerizing than jewels, and her auburn hair looked softer and so touchable.

"Um…" Sakura started, lost in her words.

Syaoran also stood still and was apparently still surprised, especially since he had not expected to see her in his presence again so suddenly. Her gentle, pink aura was radiating from her and were refreshing to his senses. It seemed like forever that the two lovers stood still and were lost in each other's eyes.

Meilin, as impatient as she was, was getting irritated. The girl interrupted and began to push Syaoran towards Sakura.

"I went through a lot of trouble to get her here, so please make it worth while!" Meilin said. Syaoran was now within hugging distance from her, but he still stood still in nervousness.

The family watched patiently, except for Meilin of course, for someone to say something. Finally, and much to their relief, Sakura broke the ice.

"U-um…I'm really glad to see you again Syaoran," Sakura said quietly. Syaoran gave her one of the smiles that he rarely had and pulled her into a warm embrace. Sakura, surprised by this, blushed an even darker shade of red. Although, after a few seconds, she happily wrapped her arms around him in return.

Unforunately, this very special moment did not last very long, and a familiar voice rang through the room causing everyone to jump.

"That's so KAWAII!" said the voice (kawaii-cute). Syaoran scowled, not in anger, but in irritation that he had been interrupted so soon. He knew _exactly_ who this was.

"DAIDOUJI-SAN!" Syaoran screamed, nearly falling over. Tomoyo giggled in response as she entered the room.

Then, almost unsurprisingly, another voice echoed from the doorway; a voice Syaoran was never happy to hear.

'_Kill me, please kill me_' Syaoran thought to himself.

"Hello, my cute little descendant!" said the voice from behind him. Syaoran immediately turned around with one of his famous death glares pointed towards the source. Eriol Hiiragizawa always appeared when least expected.

The family stared at Eriol in confusion.

"Excuse me, but I don't believe we've met…" Yelan asked, trying to be respectful. Eriol walked up to Yelan and bowed honorably.

"Oh! Please accept my apology! I have not yet introduced myself! I am Hiiragizawa Eriol, the reincarnation of Clow Reed.

Yelan's eyes widened in surprise, as did the rest of the family's. Yelan prepared to bow low for her reincarnated ancestor, but she was stopped short by Eriol.

"That will not be necessary," Eriol assured as he kissed her hand politely. Syaoran looked as if he was ready to strangle Eriol. How dare he kiss his mother's hand! Eriol was very polite for his age, but he _lived_ to tease Syaoran.

"H-Hiiragizawa…one of these days…" Syaoran mumbled almost inaudibly.

Syaoran, Eriol, and Yelan could not help but see the four sisters' crowded around Tomoyo and Sakura. In curiosity, they went to get a closer look at what they were all staring at. Of course, Tomoyo was holding her video camera and sharing filmed scenes from the card capturing days on her camera. However, these weren't just any scenes...they were scenes between Sakura and Syaoran!

Syaoran's face turned red at the scene they were watching, which he felt portrayed him as a blushing idiot. When Syaoran and Meilin had went to Tomoeda during summer break, Tomoyo had forced Syaoran to act in a few scenes for her to record. Sakura had created a monster with the CREATE card, which took the form of a shadow like creature, and the girl was nearly hit, but Syaoran reacted on instinct and protected her before any damage was done.

His sister's had stars in their eyes, and the youngest sibling simply wanted to curl into a hole.

"That's so cute! He protected her!" the sister's squealed in delight. Syaoran blushed redder than a tomato.

Before they knew it, the entire group was crowded around the video camera. Although, since no one could see anything on the recorder due to the crowding, they moved the tape to a television instead, making the couple's embarassment even worse.

Syaoran and Sakura were thouroughly demoralized, yet they smiled as they saw how much they had matured over the years, and they enjoyed watching the good times they had had in the past. The next scene played on the screen projected the fight Syaoran and Meilin had with the TWIN card.

During this clip, Yelan praised Syaoran's show of martial arts skills.

"Wei has taught you well," she complimented.

Syaoran peered down at his father's medallion, which now hung proudly around his neck. Without warning, the new pet wolf walked into the room, and he jumped on to the boy's lap. The cub started to lick his face as it had done earlier that day, and he chuckled at the tickling sensation.

Sakura and Tomoyo adored the wolf and stroked its fur.

"Oh! It's so cute! What's its name?" Sakura asked.

"Um…I haven't given it a name yet," Syaoran answered. The gir placed a finger to her lip and pondered.

"I see…can I help you think of a name?" Sakura asked. Syaoran smiled.

"Of course," he answered. His smile caused her face to flush shyly.

"Its eyes have such a pretty shade of amber, much like yours! Oh! How about we name it Kohaku!" (Kohaku-amber).

Syaoran smiled more, and he found the name rather appealing for the small pup.

"That sounds like a wonderful name!" Tomoyo said.

"All right. Kohaku it is then!" Syaoran declared. The baby wolf, now named Kohaku, began to lick Sakura's face, and it earned a giggle out of her as a reward. Her emerald eyes then wandered to Syaoran's medallion and seemed marveled by its glorious appearance.

"Oh! What a neat medallion!" Sakura said, studying the design.

"It used to be my father's," Syaoran stated with a proud grin.

"May I take a look at it?" Sakura asked. He gently took it off of his neck and placed it delicately in the girl's hands.

Sakura looked at the medallion in amazement. The detail was spectacular, and it was clearly very well taken care of. She smiled at her reflection in the shiny gold surface. However, Sakura could feel a slight trace of magic that did not belong to Syaoran on the medallion.

'_I wonder if the green aura I feel came from Syaoran's father?'_ Sakura thought to herself.

As Sakura returned the medallion, she and the others overheard Tomoyo commenting on the video that caught their attention.

"That's strange...I don't remember taping this," she said. Sakura and Syaoran turned to look at what she was talking about. Syaoran gasped at what he saw…

"No...you didn't tape that, Tomoyo..."

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**_End of Chapter Four_**

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**Lilover131: how was that chapter? Well, Sakura has finally arrived in the story. The next chapter will be cool too! I hope you like the story so far! Please send reviews!**


	6. Mixed Emotions

_**Disclaimer: I don't own ccs or the characters! Although, I wish I did!**_

**Lilover131: Hey everybody! Here's the next chapter of Cry of a Wolf! You may have noticed there are a lot of parts for this one chapter, but it's because they all take place on the same day that I linked them together! Anyway, here's chapter 6!**

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**Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Five: Mixed Emotions**

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Frozen on the television screen were the same petrifying red eyes Syaoran had seen in his dream. Kohaku began to growl viciously at the television, and the medallion slipped from the boy's fingers in a loud clank upon hitting the floor.

When the sound was heard, everyone faced him and were astounded to see Syaoran with such a look of terror. Never before had Sakura seen him that frightened. His face was incredibly pale, and the concern was obvious.

"Syaoran? Is something wrong?" Sakura asked worriedly. Syaoran glanced at the girl, his forced smile difficult to hide.

" Oh. It's nothing!" Syaoran said.

"I'm just going to go to bed…" he suddenly stated. He got up from his place in the couch and started to make his way towards the stairs. However, Syaoran was not able to leave without first answering some questions, and Eriol gently grabbed his arm to prevent his exit.

"No! Sit down! You know who that was, don't you?" Eriol interrogatd.

"…No. I don't," Syaoran said, giving Eriol a cold stare.

"If you didn't know who that was, then why did you look so frightened?" Eriol asked, obviously not buying his lies.

"I don't know," Syaoran lied again.

"Oh, I think you **_do _**know!" Eriol shouted. Syaoran was silent until he felt Sakura touch his arm.

"Syaoran, please tell us what's wrong. You know that you can tell us anything. We're here to help you," Sakura pleaded with her emerald eyes full of worry. Syaoran gave a sigh. How was it that those eyes could always convince him? Sakura smiled when Syaoran agreed to sit down.

"I apologize for yelling at you. I just wanted some answers," Eriol said.

"It's all right. Just about everyone wants answers right now," Syaoran said. The brunette took a deep breath before telling his story.

"I…had a dream last night," Syaoran started.

"I was in a dark forest. I couldn't see anything…until I saw someone," Syaoran said. The attention to the story grew stronger at the curiosity that unfolded.

"I chased after the person, and it turned out to be…well...my father."

Yelan was startled by this statement.

"He told me he came to warn me of a danger," Syaoran said.

"A danger you say?" Eriol asked, fairly interested.

"Yes," he answered,"But… before he could tell me anymore…he disappeared."

"Afterwards, I was attacked by a black snake with these wicked blood red stripes," Syaoran described. He continued on to tell his story of how he eventually vanquished the evil, but his expression took a more serious tone as he approached the end of his nightmare.

"When I defeated the snakes, I heard the darkest laugh I have ever heard," he said with a slight pang of fear in his voice.

"Before I knew it, I felt a cold hand on my shoulder. The last thing I remember were those red eyes, a sharp pain in my shoulder, and someone calling out my name," Syaoran finished.

The group all heard a bewildering gasp come from Sakura, and all eyes gazed toward her.

"T-That must have been me," Sakura said. Syaoran stared in awe and disbelief.

"That was you?" Syaoran asked. Sakura nodded and glanced down as she recalled the dream she had.

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_**Sakura's Dream**_

Sakura was knee deep in darkness, and the thin outline of trees were all around her. Her vision was much like that of a looking glass, and the moonlight from above seemed to focus on only one spot within a clearing, and it did not take long before she recognized it to be Syaoran. She saw him searching the area around him with a angered frown, and she wondered what it was that he was looking for, especially with such a serious face. When she took a step closer, her senses were overwhelmed from the evil presence that suddenly appeared.

An ominous laugh echoed throughout the forest, raising the hairs on her neck, and she could discovered a man draped in black with long, flowing and shadow-like black hair approaching Syaoran from behind. The black figure turned his gaze to her momentarily, only to reveal his blazing, bright red eyes. The sword he carried consisted of a onyx colored blade, and a blood red hilt. Wrapped around the blade was a ebony snake with red stripes, frozen in position like a stone statue.

Sakura's heart nearly stop as she saw the figure place a hand on Syaoran's shoulder, the grip bony and deadly. She started to rush forward, only to crash into some kind of invisible barrier that she could not break, no matter how hard she tried. She banged on the wall with all her might, but nothing seemed to work.

Syaoran then turned around towards the figure behind him, and Sakura screamed as the figure raised his blade before him.

"SYAORAN!" Sakura screamed as loud as her lungs permitted, and she was engulfed in the blackness.

_**End of Sakura's dream**_

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The entire room stared in astoundment as Sakura finished telling her story. Syaoran looked confused as did the rest of the family. Yelan bit her lip in realization. The woman prayed desperately that this person was not who she thought it was. Yelan's reaction was noticed by everyone in the room, which guided their attention to her.

" Do you know who it is?" Eriol asked curiously. Yelan could only nod.

"Who is it?" Sakura asked. Suddenly, the supposedly paused picture burst out loud with an dark laugh. They were startled even further when the voice began to speak, and the voice was recognizably terrifying.

"So you've finally figured it out, eh Yelan?" the voice said in a raspy, snake-like voice.

"It won't do you any good! I'll destroy all of you as I did Kyo!"

Yelan, Syaoran, and the four sister's were incredibly alarmed by this statement.

"Who is Kyo?" Sakura asked questioningly.

"…Our father," Fanren answered in a whisper. Sakura's gaze then turned to Syaoran, who was having difficulty holding back the anger and sadness overcoming him. Syaoran clenched his fists tightly in frustration. Unfortunately, the oppressive force appeared to notice this, and he sought out to feed the feelings even more.

"What's wrong, little wolf? Are you angry that I killed your weak father?" the voice taunted through the screen.

"Go to Hell!" Syaoran screamed loudly, which caused Yelan to gasp slightly.

"Hell is dreadfully boring," the evil said, and Syaoran's eyes blazed in fury.

"Don't worry! You'll see your father soon enough!" the dark man said with a cackle.

"GO AWAY!" Syaoran screamed as he felt his fuse run short. He grabbed a random object off the table next to him and threw it directly at the television screen, shattering the glass in a shower of sparks and small explosions. The girls screamed in surprise, covering their ears from the loud sound. When everyone calmed themselves, they glanced at Syaoran, who had his face buried in his knees. He was obviously upset.

"Syaoran…" Sakura started. Yelan approached her and enclosed him in a hug. He made no response, but managed to mutter a quiet question.

"Mother…that was him, wasn't it?" Syaoran asked. Yelan was silent. When she released the embrace, Syaoran stood up, picked up his medallion, and left the room with Kohaku following. No one followed him.

Syaoran walked into his room with his hand clenched around his medallion, and Kohaku rested himself on the soft carpet in preparation to sleep.

"Good idea," Syaoran said, watching the wolf cub as he changed into one of his new green pajamas his sister's bought for him. However, while putting on the top, he noticed the scar on his arm was red and irritated, causing it to sting to the touch. He thought nothing of it. He hated leaving his guests, especially Sakura, so rudely, but he could not let her see him the way he was now; it was shameful, and until he cooled his head, he would not see her. When Syaoran finished changing, he collapsed on his bed, deep in thought. He glanced sideways towards the window with his peripheral vision, and for a moment, he thought he saw those red eyes again. A blink was all it took for them to disappear, and the boy groaned in irritation.

'_Great! Now I'm seeing things!_' Syaoran thought to himself. He stared at the ceiling for a while until he fell asleep, but the moment he slipped into his dreams, he could not notice the glowing red eyes right outside his window…

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_**Back in the Living room**_

"My head is hurting from all of this!" Sakura said, obviously confused. Who was this evil man that was so intimidating to her? Not only that, but what did he want from Syaoran? One question seemed to lead to another, which made her more oblivious than ever.

"Yes. It is all so confusing," Tomoyo said in agreement. Yelan felt that it was time to explain.

"His name is Naraku (Naraku- abyss; hell). He has wanted to become the leader of the Li clan for quite some time as the legends say. Although, he intended to use this power for evil intentions, so he was not well accepted."

"Have you met him before?" Tomoyo asked. Yelan was silent for a moment.

"Yes…unfortunately," Yelan answered. Pain was evident in her voice.

"What did he do to you?" Eriol asked with concern. There was a long silence and a deep breath before she could compose herself enough to respond to the question.

"…He killed my husband," Yelan said, turning her gaze away from the others. As if mourning the man's loss, the group lowered their heads.

"So why would he come back?" Tomoyo asked. Yelan was silent once again.

"Because Syaoran's the heir to becoming the Li clan leader, I imagine. Without Syaoran, there would be nobody to become leader. Therefore, he could easily conquer the Li clan," Eriol answered for her.

"Yes…but there's also another reason," Yelan said. Everyone got closer to listen to her, but they were interrupted by the appearance of an evil presence. The magicians became alarmed as the located the source of the dark aura, and when pinpointed, panic rose.

"Oh no! That's coming from Syaoran's room!"

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**_End of Chapter Five_**

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**Lilover131: how was that chapter? I like to do cliffhangers, so that might happen a lot. But, I will try to get a new chapter in within a week. I'm trying not to be the kind of people who keep you waiting forever! Anyway, please send reviews!**


	7. Delaying the inevitable

_**Disclaimer: I don't own ccs or the characters! Although, I wish I did!**_

**Lilover131: Hey! Here's the chapter that all of you have been waiting for! Sorry for the dreaded cliffhangers! I thought the chapter would be funner to read if there was a cliffhanger! Well, here is chapter 6 of Cry of a Wolf!**

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**Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Six: Delaying the Inevitable **

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Syaoran was enveloped in a field of flowers, and he enjoyed the wonderful contrast it was from his last dream. It was sunny, and the flowers were wavering in the light breeze along the soothing silence. The flowers were like a rainbow on the ground, providing every color that the boy could even imagine. The grass was soft and still gleaming with dew, and there was an even spread of clouds in the sky. Although the scene was beautiful and incredibly comforting, he could not help but feel that something was a little off.

Syaoran peered down at his hands, which appeared smaller to him than he remembered. Moreover, everything seemed…shorter. When he realized there was a small pond nearby, he made his way over and gazed into his reflection. To his great surprise, he was a younger version of himself, perhaps age four.

Then, astonishingly, he saw his entire family as well, including his father. Little Syaoran turned around, and came face to face with his once deceased family member. Kyo's arms were outstretched, beckoning Syaoran towards him, and the boy was quick to comply. He ran forward immediately into his father's embrace and remembered the life he had before Naraku had interfered.

Without warning, the sky was overshadowed with darkness. The bright flowers turned gray, wilted, and died. As all of this happened, a cold, rough wind blew across them, and Syaoran turned to his remaining family members. His eyes widened in shock as he saw his mother and sister's lying on the ground dead. When he glanced away from his slain family in horror, he noticed his father's eyes were glowing an ominous red; a look of murder shone in his eyes.

"Why…?" little Syaoran asked in confusion. His father grinned wickedly. Suddenly, a furious gust of wind lifted Syaoran's small body off its feet and slammed it into the hard wood of a tree. As his father approached him, he felt a slight pang of fear. Was this really his father?

"O-Otousan?" Syaoran said to what was supposedly his flesh and blood. The imposter grabbed the boy by his neck and lifted him in the air up against the tree. Little Syaoran struggled, but it was no use trying to fight back, since he had as little strength as he had air.

"Why?" Syaoran managed to choke out.

"Why… are you…doing this?"

The man grinned again, and coldly whispered.

"Because…you're the only thing that stands in my way!" the imposter said with a wicked smile as he tightened his grip on Syaoran's neck.

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**_Elsewhere in the mansion_**

Sakura, Eriol, Yelan, Futtie, Shieta, Fanren, Feimei, and Meilin were rushed frantically up the stairs. Those with magical abilities had felt Naraku's presence coming from upstairs, and as they moved throughout the mansion, they made preparations. Sakura released her star wand in a quick incantation, Yelan pulled out her fan, and Eriol released his sun staff as the Chinese women led the way.

"There are so many rooms in this house!" Tomoyo said amazed as she ran by.

"The Li clan is quite wealthy," Fanren stated before they finally reached Syaoran's door.

Yelan was almost too afraid to turn the knob; afraid to see what lie behind it. However, she did not let the fear did not overcome her. She knew that her son was in there, and he probably needed help. She wasn't going to back away when he very well could be suffering. The door swung open, thus revealing a hidden horror. There were snakes everywhere. The slithering reptiles were black as night with blood red stripes as spoken of before, and the wolf cub Kohaku struggled against the swarm. Across the room, Syaoran was being held up by his throat by a man with long black hair and deadly red eyes.

"Let him go!" Sakura yelled as she pulled out a pink card. She threw the magical card in the air and raised her star wand up to meet it in a grand glow of energy.

"SWORD!" Sakura yelled as an elegant, long, sword appeared in Sakura's hand.

The girl charged without restraint at Naraku and slashed down to the best of her ability at the man. She did not intend to kill, merely protect Syaoran, and fortunately the attack was successful as Naraku dropped the boy to dodge. They stared at Syaoran's unmoving body gravely and silently prayed that they had made it in time.

When Syaoran coughed, signaling the regaining of his air, the group was incredibly relieved. Sakura ran to his aid and embraced him protectively as she glared at the evil before her.

"You protect the little beast?" Naraku barked, which sounded more like a hiss than words.

"The only one who's a beast here is YOU!" Sakura yelled. The girl was not one to speak badly to anyone, but this man had clearly crossed a line. Yelan and Eriol pulled out their weapons, ready to attack the evil that threatened the Li household.

"You dare insult me?" Naraku said enraged. In his anger, he grabbed Sakura by her wrist, and she flinched as he raised his sword in the air, ready to strike her. Sakura clenched her eyes tight. She awaited the impact, but, much to her surprise, such a hit never came. Sakura opened her eyes to see what had stopped the blow, and she was ecstatic to see Syaoran guarding her from the front. His sword was in his hand, the metal scratching against the blade blade of the opposing sword.

"Syaoran!" Sakura said in obvious surprise. Naraku angrily withdrew and leapt a few feet back.

"You are beginning to irritate me!" Syaoran growled. In rage, Naraku sent a blast of rushing wind in every direction. Every person in the room flew into the surrounding walls and moaned in pain before slumping to the floor. Syaoran was the first to rise, since he was used to such hits and had developed a high pain tolerance in his martial arts training. Without a second thought, he tended to his love, his hands touching her shoulders in concern.

"Are you all right?" Syaoran asked her.

"I'm fine," Sakura responded.

"I'm glad," he said with a smile and wasted no time checking on the others as well.

"Mother, are you all right?" he asked. She nodded in response, glancing to the others who seemed to be recovering. Syaoran turned to see the enemy barely an inch from his face, glaring with great intensity. Syaoran returned the glare and spread his arms out protectively in front of his family and friends.

"Leave…_now_," Syaoran demanded.

"Leave?" Naraku repeated, as if it were a joke.

"Leave my _revenge_? You're as pathetic as your father!" he taunted.

"Don't you dare speak of him that way!" Syaoran yelled.

His emotions released a strange magic that pushed the evil man straight towards the window. Naraku, refusing to be shunned, tossed snakes in Syaoran's direction. The snakes were deflected by a wall of electricity that shielded the boy. Syaoran's aura was ravaging out of control and could even felt by those without magic. Naraku, contemplating his ideas, made the decision to step back...at least for now.

"You have only delayed the inevitable!" Naraku said before rapidly leaping out the window and out of sight.

The people gaped in shock, and they were confused by what had just happened. When Naraku and the snakes all completely disappeared, Syaoran's aura returned to normal.

"Is everyone all right?" Syaoran asked turning back to them. The group nodded slowly, glancing at each other questioningly.

"Good," Syaoran said with a smile, his breath a bit heavy and his eyes half lidded.

"Are _you_ all right? You look really tired!" Fanren asked. Syaoran looked exhausted, struggling to keep standing.

"Yeah, I'm just a little tired…" Syaoran said before collapsing. Luckily, Sakura caught him before he tumbled the ground, and she lightly placed him on the floor.

"Is he all right?" Tomoyo asked.

"He's fast asleep," said Sakura with a smile.

"What in the world just happened?" Meilin asked.

"Something…that has happened before," Yelan answered.

"This has happened before?" Tomoyo quizzed, and the woman nodded, much to Eriol's intrigue.

"Let's get Syaoran to his bed first. He must be exhausted," Yelan pleaded, and the others nodded in agreement.

Sakura and Eriol both lifted Syaoran and placed him on his bed, and the auburn-haired girl pulled the covers over his body. Once he was safely tucked in, the two joined the group outside the room and quietly closed the door.

"I've never seen Syaoran like that before," Sakura stated as all of them walked back downstairs.

"This has been quite an eventful day for him," Yelan said upon reaching the living room. With a humble smile, Wei, the guardian and good friend of the Li family, was already tending to the broken glass from earlier.

"So…how did this happen before?" Eriol asked Yelan curiously. All of them were seated on the couches and awaited for Yelan to tell her story as she had intended to before the random attack.

"It all happened ten years ago…"

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**_End of Chapter Six _**

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**Lilover131: Hey! How was that chapter? Sorry that I left you with another cliffhanger! I feel evil now! Anyway, the next chapter will reveal what happened ten years ago! Thank you for reading and please send reviews!**


	8. The day he slipped away

_**Disclaimer: I don't own ccs or the characters! Although, I wish I did!**_

**Lilover131: Hey! I hope you liked the last chapter! This one finally reveals what happened 10 years ago! Hope you enjoy!**

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**Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Seven: The day he slipped away**

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**_Flashback_**

It was an ordinary,sunny day at the Li mansion. Not a single cloud in the sky could be seen, and the temperature was superbly wonderful. The spings in Hong Kong were so beautiful, and Yelan watched with joy in her eyes as her family played together. The four sisters, between ages eight and eleven at the time, were playing with jump ropes, chanting and giggling.

Syaoran, at the young age of four, was struggling from an unfair tickle fight with his father. The boy laughed hysterically, tears burning at the corners of his eyes. When Syaoran finally gave up, Kyo seized the tickling.

When the child arose, he stared at his father with his big amber eyes, just like his father's. They shared the same messy, chocolate brown hair, and they had the same beautiful golden amber eyes. As such, Syaoran always looked up to his father as a role model. Kyo was a strong warrior and the well-respected leader of the Li clan. The boy was fortunate enough to have his father teach him martial arts and a few tiny incantations to introduce him to magic use. After all, Syaoran needed to learn a lot if he wanted to become the leader of the Li clan.

"Being the Li clan leader comes with great responsibilities," Syaoran always remembered his father saying. There was no doubt about it, since Kyo had constantly been working to fix the problems everyone had. Despite all the time taken, he always somehow found time with the family.

Syaoran wondered what his life would be like once he became the Li clan leader. Since he was the heir, he was destined to take his father's place as leader once he was of age. Being the leader was a great honor, but it could also inevitably could attract more enemies…

The family continued to enjoy themselves on this partciular spring afternoon, and Syaoran was easily picked up into his father's strong arms. However, the playful nature of the family came to a halt upon the sight of a dark, ominous cloud rolling through the sky.

"That's strange. It was sunny a moment ago…" Feimei said, studying the cloud with squinted blue eyes.

"It looks like it's going to rain," Futtie said. Even a child could tell that this was no ordinary cloud.

Yelan and Kyo knew recognized the level of danger approaching, and an evil, extremely powerful presence rapidly appeared in their senses. Kyo gave a concerned gaze to Yelan, as she nodded in understanding before ushering the children into the house.

"Children, go inside the house," Yelan asked in a gentle, but serious tone. The four sister's immediately scurried inside. However, Syaoran remained in his father's arms and was watching the clouds intently.

"Syaoran…come inside," Yelan repeated, beckoning him inside.

"Mother…these are not average storm clouds…" Syaoran said while never taking his gaze away from the clouds. Yelan was not surprised by his advanced vocabulary for a four year old, because he often did that, but the possibility that he actually felt the magic provoking the clouds did surprise her.

Kyo also glanced to his son and was baffled at the highly unlikely possibility that a child at four years old could sense presences. Syaoran continued to stare at the clouds curiously as the wind began to pick up.

"Something…bad is coming," Syaoran stated quietly, his eyes widening in fear. Without warning, a blast erupted down on Syaoran and Kyo, the force separating them against their will.

"SYAORAN! KYO!" Yelan screamed in horror. A shadow jumped through the trees, and a glint of a strange metal could be seen along with it, peeking through the dark branches. Whoever owned such a shadow had not come unarmed.

The darkness ran towards Kyo at a speed not to be matched. Its blade was ready for attack as it approached the Li clan leader. Kyo arose and the heirloom sword appeared in his hand.

Kyo glanced briefly towards his family. Syaoran was unconscious, and Yelan was frozen in her spot by a strange bounding spell of some sort to keep her from interfering. When he turned his gaze back to the evil, he became alarmed as it charged straight towards him.

The shadow's slashes were lightning fast, making them completely unpredictable. Even so, Kyo made expert blocks every time. The slashes and defenses continued on for perhaps ten minutes; more like a lifetime to Yelan who could only watch helplessly.

Kyo began to feel the fatigue setting in, and the constant movement at this speed began to tire him. When his body drained itself of energy, so did his concentration, and the shadow slashed at his unprotected legs. Kyo fell to the ground in pain. His legs, now practically useleess, came as a great disadvantage. The evil stared down at him with glowing red eyes, and he was grinning at his inevitable victory that would surely be unmerciful.

"Now…you shall die!" said the shadow as he raised his sword in the air. Yelan closed her eyes, too unwilling to see her husband become hit by a deadly blow. An awful sound of a slash was heard, but the scream she heard was not that of Kyo's.

Yelan opened her eyes, and what she saw was truly unexpected. The shadow screamed in pain from the sword that had been lodged into its back. The holder of the sword was none other than the young Syaoran.

Syaoran's eyes were shadowed to all except the evil…who saw that the boy's eyes now glimmered a brilliant bright green. His glare was intimidating; far different than his usual gentle smile.

He pulled the Li clan sword out of the evil's back, and he held the blood=stained blade up to the sky. His eyes closed as he mumbled an incantation that he was only taught recently, and when his eyes opened, a bolt of lightning cascaded down on the shadow.

The shadow screamed in pain once again, while Kyo and Yelan watched in awe as Syaoran's aura exploded. The raw strength of such a young boy was overwhelming their senses.

"Nobody hurts my Otousan and gets away with it," Syaoran said in a dangerously cold voice.

Syaoran blinked and his eyes then returned to their usual amber. However, the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was the shadow charging angrily at him. Syaoran had left himself unprotected at that short moment in time, and the sword slashed across his arm. He screamed in pain while clutching his now injured arm, fortunately avoiding the loss of his limb and obtaining only a thin gash. The shadow then pushed him back with a mighty force and threw him back several feet. Syaoran landed painfully on his back and found difficulty getting back up. The boy grimaced in pain as the shadow approached his small crumpled form.

"Conquering the Li clan will be much easier than I thought. I will kill both the Li clan leader…and the heir," said the shadow with a wicked grin.

Yelan struggled and fought with all her strength to break the spell that bound her feet to the ground, but she could not move from her place. The shadow raised his sword in the air again, the ominous black blade overflowing with an evil aura. Yelan once again closed her eyes tight to block the sight from her vision, horribly distressed by the thought of losing her only son.

Once again the sound of a slash was heard, and then... opened her eyes with hope to see her son and husband alive and well, but she felt herself only wanting to close them again. Kyo had taken the impact instead of Syaoran, the sword having been pierced all the way through his chest. He did not show any form of fear or pain, and the spectators all watched in horror as Kyo's body fell to the ground, next to his son. Syaoran crawled over to his father with horrified amber eyes.

"…F-father…" Syaoran spoke in a shaky tone.

The shadow only laughed victoriously as one victim had been successfully eliminated. It raised its sword to attack again, but his sword seemed to bounce off of an invisible bubble of swirling magic. He groaned in irritation, realizing that the Li clan leader had used the last of his powers to protect his family.

This specific force field was one that would take quite an annoying amount of time for him to break through. Judging by the power of the force field, he estimated it would take about ten years to wear off. These force fields were rarely used because of the extreme power drain. Most died trying, but it seemed that Kyo took the opportunity of his imminent death to use as a last resort.

"Well, this is irritating," the shadow grumbled, and with that, he turned his back on the family.

"It's seems you've been fortunate enough to have bought yourself some time," the evil stated as he surrounded himself in a cloud of shadows.

"I will return to destroy you all! Remember my name! My name is Naraku!" he spoke dramatically before he disappeared completely. The bounding spell put on Yelan released itself, thus allowing her to move freely, and she immediately ran to the boys. Syaoran stared at his father who was still clinging to life on a thin string. He was a bloody mess.

"O-Otousan, I'm so sorry…this is all my fault!" Syaoran said with tear streaked eyes. The boy thought that if he hadn't irritated Naraku, then maybe…perhaps Kyo wouldn't have taken the impact instead of him. Kyo smiled at his son who now had waterfalls of tears falling down his cheeks.

"…It makes me sad… to see such a strong wolf cry," Kyo said to his son.

Syaoran stared at his father and attempted to wipe away his tears. He tried to force a smile for his father. Although, after smiling once, he simply broke down once again.

"…Please don't leave me!" Syaoran said in between tears as he embraced his father tightly. Yelan was heartbroken at the sight in front of her.

"I'll never leave you…because I'll always be with you…in here," Kyo said as he placed his hand over Syaoran's heart. The boy smiled genuinely but could not maintain the energy to stay conscious any longer, falling soundlessly to the ground beside his father. The sisters had stepped out just in time to catch the entire conversation, which brought tears to their eyes. Desperate to speak to their father, they did the same as their brother to comfort both Kyo and their breaking hearts.

"…Take care…of your mother…and Syaoran too," Kyo said to them. Each nodded in understanding; it was an unspoken promise. Yelan stared at her daughters before quietly pleading for them to assist their wounded brother.

"Take Syaoran inside the house and tend to his arm, will you? And I require Wei's assistance...if you could please call him..." Yelan said to her daughters. The girls immediately did what their mother asked, and within moments, Wei was rushing out to their aid.

"Oh my! I'll call an ambulance right away!" Wei said, his body beginning to turn around.

"…Don't…bother…" Kyo choked out, and Wei stopped in his place.

"You are NOT going to die!" Yelan screamed in denial as Kyo flashed a sad smile.

"Yelan…destiny has chosen me to die now…I can feel it. You cannot change the path destiny has chosen for you, no matter how hard you try…you should know that better than anyone..." he said. The woman bit her lip, her shivering fingers clinging to the bloodied clothes covering his body.

"But… I need you! The girls need you! _Syaoran_ needs you!" Yelan screamed in between tears.

"…Yelan…I'll always be here…no matter what happens…I promise..." he said with a smile.

"Please don't die! I love you!" Yelan screamed. She was still denying the fact that her husband had slim chances of survival, as any wife would in such a situation.

"And I'll always love you…"Kyo said, his hand caressing her face lovingly.

Kyo turned his gaze to Wei.

"…Wei!" he called.

"Yes, Kyo-sama?" Wei asked.

"…Wei…I want you to train Syaoran… and when he grows old enough…give him my sword …and teach him how to use it…" Kyo asked. It was a last request, and Wei respectfully nodded.

"…Syaoran will be a strong leader someday, Yelan…" Kyo said to his wife. Yelan smiled and nuzzled her face into the gentle hand.

"He's just like you. He puts everyone else before himself," Yelan said.

"…Yelan…I love you…goodbye…" Kyo whispered, and he used his final breath to kiss Yelan one last time.

Yelan burst into tears as he closed his eyes into his eternal sleep, never to open them again. The rain then suddenly began to fall, as if the sky too were mourning the death of Li Kyo…

**_End of Flashback_**

* * *

**_End of Chapter Seven_**

* * *

**Lilover131: how was that chapter? I hope you liked it! Please send reviews!**


	9. The strength to move on

Disclaimer: I don't own ccs or the characters! Although, I wish I did!

Lilover131: Hey! What's up? I hope you liked the last chapter! Well anyway, here's chapter nine!

**Cry of a Wolf- Chapter Nine: The strength to move on**

Yelan had finished telling her story of their tragic loss. The others remained silent, and they were too shocked for words. To see someone so precious to you die…this was a pain that none of them could comprehend. Meilin bowed her head down. She remembered that day…

Meilin's flashback

Meilin Li played with her friends happily. Her studies were over for today, and the weather was perfect. Hide and seek was Meilin's favorite game. She always played with Shen and Hui, her best friends.

"You're it!" Shen and Hui said to Meilin.

"What? But, I don't wanna be it!" Meilin protested.

"That's the rules! If you won't be 'it', then you can't play!" Hui said, with her hands on her hips.

Meilin sighed in defeat.

"All right."Meilin put her head against and tree and began to count to ten.

"One…two…three…four…" Meilin started as the two girls trotted away giggling.

"…Five…six…seven…" she continued. Meilin could hear the slight roar of thunder.

" …Eight…nine…ten," Meilin finished. She turned around just in time to see a lightning bolt strike close to a mansion.

Meilin knew that mansion. It belonged to the Li clan leader. She had seen the leader play with his son and four daughters. They were some of her cousins. She had seen them talk in the Li gardens before…though she had never really spoken to them. The four daughters had always been giggling, and the son seemed shy, but fairly open. Meilin had heard that the son was incredibly intelligent. He was only four years old, like herself, but he was addressed in the clan as 'The Li Clan Heir'.

It was strange how quickly the clouds had appeared. It had been perfectly sunny just a minute before. Meilin saw another lightning bolt strike the same place it had struck the first time. '_That's strange. Mama always told me that lightning never hits the same place twice' _Meilin thought.

"These clouds are not ordinary!" she heard an elder say. The Li clan elders were very powerful, and they were the one's that decided how things should run.

Meilin hid behind the tree as she began to eavesdrop on the elder's conversation.

"The source is coming from Kyo-sama's home!" another elder said.

"We must banish this evil quickly…before it destroys our leader!" said yet another elder. The elders all prepared to head to the Li clan leader's home, but they were stopped by the head elder.

"It is…too late to assist the leader," The head elder stated.

"What do you mean?" the other elders asked, confused.

"His aura…is gone. Li Kyo no longer is alive," said the head elder, closing his dark eyes.

Meilin's ruby eyes widened. She stared at the mansion in disbelief. The kind leader they had all come to admire…was dead. Meilin ran from her spot quietly as not to alert the elders. Her mother awaited her at the door with a worried, but now relieved look on her face.

"Meilin! Where on earth were you?" her mother lectured. Meilin only stared at the mansion again. The rain then began to fall…

A few days later, the clan held a funeral for the fallen leader. Meilin saw the once strong man now being lowered in the ground, never to be seen, and never to be forgotten. She gazed to the leaders' family. The wife and four daughters held handkerchiefs to their tear streaked eyes. Then she gazed to the son. His expression was completely emotionless, but his eyes held pure sadness within those amber orbs. Meilin remembered how happy and open he had used to be. Now he was sad, and all of his emotions were locked in, never to be seen or expressed. Meilin now realized…that things would never be the same again.

Present

Meilin's flashback was interrupted as she heard the soft sound of crying. She turned to see Sakura Kinomoto wiping away tears that fell from her eyes. Tomoyo handed her friend a handkerchief. Sakura's emerald green eyes were drenched in tears, which caused them to glow.

"…I-I didn't know th-that you've been in so much pain!" Sakura said stuttering from her tears.

Yelan was shocked, but she then smiled. Sakura really was a caring person. Although, she did not expect any tears to be brought out from this conversation, let alone the person listening. Not even she herself had the courage to cry when telling the story. Eriol placed his hand on Sakura's shoulder for comfort, and then he gazed at Yelan.

"Thank you for caring so much about us, Sakura-san," Yelan said with a warm-hearted smile.

The four sisters crowded around Sakura, and they gave her a warm comforting hug. This hug was not like their usual crazy 'you're so cute!' hugs. This was one that said, 'we're all right, and there is no need to worry'. Sakura's tears soon faded, and all that was left was a smile.

"Now, I think we should all be getting to bed. It is late," Yelan said looking at the clock. Everyone in the group nodded in agreement.

"Futtie, Sheita, Fanren, Feimei, will you please lead our guests to their rooms?" Yelan asked.

"Of course!" the sisters all said in unison.

Yelan turned to look at Meilin.

"Meilin, you may stay here tonight if you like." Meilin smiled in response.

"Thank you, Auntie. I will call mama," Meilin said heading towards the phone. She then looked to Eriol.

"I will stay up a little longer," Eriol said to Yelan, heading towards the Li garden. Feimei grabbed Sakura's hand and began to lead her to her room. Fanren did the same with Tomoyo.

Feimei led Sakura through the dimmed hallways of the Li mansion. Sakura followed closely so that she would not get lost. After all, the mansion was HUGE!!

"I never realized how much your family has gone through. It must've been awful," Sakura said bowing her down.

"It's all right. That is all in the past now. To keep our family strong, we must keep going on," Feimei said with a smile.

"What was Mr. Li like?" Sakura asked curiously.

"He was a wonderful father," Feimei said thinking back of the good times.

"He always put us before himself or anything else."

"You must've loved him very much," Sakura said.

Feimei sent a grin towards her.

"That's why we love Syaoran so much," she said. Sakura had confusion written all over her face.

"What?" asked Sakura.

"Syaoran is just like our otousan (Otousan-father). He has the same amber eyes, the same messy brown hair, the same personality…everything!" Feimei said. Sakura smiled as she now had a better picture of Kyo's appearance.

"I wish I would've gotten to meet him."

The two stopped at a door in the hallway.

"This…" Feimei said while opening the door.

"…Is the room you will be staying in."

When the door was opened, it revealed a room fit for a princess! There lie a queen size bed with a canopy cover for privacy. Pink covers with cherry blossom symbols covered the bed, and light pink, frilly pillows decorated the dream resting area. Next to the bed, there was a dresser with a mirror, which had intricate designs on the frame. On top of the dresser, there was a vase with peonies of many colors. The walls were colored sugar pink and were decorated with pictures of flowers.

Sakura walked across the dream room and saw two doors that led to a veranda (a balcony). She opened the doors, which revealed many stars in the sky and a beautiful view of the Li garden. Right next to the balcony was a cherry blossom tree with shook in the night breeze.

"This room is beautiful!" Sakura said to Feimei as she flashed a bright smile.

"I'm glad you like it," Feimei said as she headed towards the door.

"Well…I'll see you tomorrow at breakfast! Sleep well!" Feimei said as she closed the door behind her.

Sakura unpacked her bags and changed into pink, silky pajamas. She tucked herself into the enormous bed, and she fell asleep with her 'Syaoran bear' in one arm. Down the hall were Tomoyo, and Meilin, who both had their own rooms as well.

Eriol sat up in the cherry blossom tree, which stood in the Li garden, obviously deep in thought. Suddenly, Suppi and Kero flew out of the bag that lay next to him.

"FRESH AIR!!" Kero said as he dragged himself out of the bag. Suppi, who was never much of a complainer, simply flew out without a word. Eriol, even being the reincarnation of Clow Reed, had a horrible memory sometimes. He had totally forgotten that Kero and Suppi were still in his bag!

"Thanks a lot Eriol! I nearly suffocated in that bag!" Kero complained.

"Gomen, Keroberos," (gomen-sorry) Eriol apologized.

"I don't need an apology! I need some food!"

Eriol pulled out a candy bar from his pocket and handed it to the complaining guardian. Kero snatched the chocolaty treat and ate it like a greedy child. Suppi landed on Eriol's lap.

"Master Eriol…what were those two enormous powers a while ago?" Suppi asked.

"A new enemy named Naraku…and Syaoran," Eriol answered.

"The brat?" Kero said quite shocked.

"That's impossible!"

"I never knew the boy had that much power!" Suppi said. Eriol looked up towards the star stricken sky deep in thought. His gaze then turned to Syaoran's window.

"And I think…that neither did Syaoran," Eriol said as he walked back to the Li mansion.

Lilover131: Hey! Thanks for reading! This chapter wasn't as exciting as some of the rest, but I hope you liked it anyway! I will try to get more Tomoyo, Meilin, and Eriol in it next time! And I won't forget the GIGANTIC LOADS OF S+S!!! please send reviews!


	10. A dream or reality?

Disclaimer: I don't own ccs or the characters! Although, I wish I did!

Lilover131: Hey! What's up? Sorry It took so long to get this chapter up! I've been pretty busy with friends and school! I'll try to get chapters up as soon as possible.

**Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Nine: A dream or reality?**

Sakura opened her emerald eyes only to close them again from the blinding sunlight creeping through the windows. She sat up on the fluffy pink bed and arose with her Syaoran bear in her hand. She walked outside to the veranda. The Li garden was beautiful in the evening, but when seen in daylight, it was a paradise with flowers!

"YO! SAKURA!" said Kero as he suddenly appeared at Sakura's face.

"Ho-Hoe!" Sakura cried in surprise as she fell over. Kero floated over to her with concern etched on his face.

"Whoa! You okay kiddo?" Kero asked.

"I'm fine. You just startled me," Sakura answered. She had forgotten that Kero had come with them. Where had he been all this time anyway?

"Well, get up and get dressed. It's breakfast time!" Kero announced.

After making his announcement, he flew to the other rooms. Sakura walked back into her room and made her way towards the suitcases. As she dug through her clothes to find an outfit, she came across a thin, rectangular box wrapped in green paper. '_I forgot to give him his birthday present'_ Sakura thought. Sakura took the present and placed it on the dresser beside her.

Finally, she found an outfit. She chose a light pink tank top and a jean skirt that went down to her mid thigh. As for accessories, she wore a cute flower anklet, flip-flops, and her star key (just in case). When she was dressed, she left her room to go to breakfast. Outside her door stood Tomoyo, Meilin, and Eriol.

"Ohayo!" (Ohayo-Morning!) Sakura greeted all of them.

"Ohayo Sakura-chan/Sakura-san/Kinomoto-san!" the others greeted. Sakura looked for the only missing person in the group.

"Where's Syaoran?" Sakura asked.

"He's still asleep," Meilin answered.

"After that power display last night, I'm not surprised," Eriol said adjusting his glasses slightly. Eriol could see the worry in her emerald eyes.

"Don't worry Sakura-san. He'll wake up soon," Eriol assured with a warm smile. Sakura sighed in relief. The four walked towards the kitchen. When they arrived there, the kitchen was filled with the aroma of hot chocolate and French toast.

"Wow! That smells great!" Sakura said. Eriol, Meilin, and Tomoyo all nodded their heads. Feimei was seen setting the table, and she was putting each utensil in a specific spot. Ten places were set on the table. Four for the sisters, one for Yelan, Sakura, Eriol, Tomoyo, Meilin, and even one for Syaoran if he woke up in time. Kero and Suppi had the honor of being able to sit on the table.

"Wow, Feimei! Did you do all of this by yourself?" Meilin asked.

"No. Keroberos and Spinel helped me," she answered.

"Is that so…" Eriol said, with a glint in his eye.

"The stuffed toy actually helped somebody?" Meilin said. Kero's eyes flamed in anger.

"Hey! I'm a nice guy…unlike you…you ungrateful brat!" Kero said to Meilin.

"What did you call me?!" Meilin yelled, insulted. The group giggled at their argument.

Shortly after the quarrel between Meilin and Kero, Yelan and the three other sisters walked into the kitchen. Yelan bowed to the people in the room.

"Good morning," Yelan said. Everybody else greeted her back. Yelan was slightly startled when she saw Kero and Suppi.

"I don't believe we've met," Yelan said. Kero was still for a moment, not exactly sure what was the right thing to do. Everyone saw a glint in his beady eyes.

"Why, I'm the great guardian beast Keroberos!" Kero said proudly.

Sakura fell over at Kero's words. The group of people all had different reactions. Meilin rolled her eyes, Tomoyo was videotaping the reactions, and Eriol only smiled. The four sisters either sweat dropped or laughed. As for Yelan…she stuttered a small giggle.

"What's so funny?" Kero demanded, enraged at all the laughter. By the time the moment had ended, they were all seated at the table.

They were seated at a large table with as much French toast as they could eat! Although…not as much as they _could_ eat…because of Kero's constant gigantic appetite. Sakura, Tomoyo, and Eriol all took a bite of the French toast.

"Mmm! It's so delicious!!" Sakura said savoring every cinnamon swirled bite (sounds like a cinnamon toast crunch commercial. Lol.).

"Thank you," Feimei said, appreciating the compliment.

Breakfast was soon done and still Syaoran's place at the table remained empty. '_I guess he's still sleeping'_ Sakura thought, disappointed. Sakura walked through the hallways to where she remembered Syaoran's room to be. '_Just a little peek to see if he's awake'_ Sakura thought. After perhaps 10 minutes of searching, she finally came across a familiar door. Well…the doors all looked the same, but somehow she knew this one was his.

She slowly turned the doorknob and opened the door only a crack. She peered inside the room, which smelled of sandalwood and cinnamon. In other words, it smelled like Syaoran. The room was lit only by the sunlight that crept inside, and the walls were a forest green color. Sakura slowly walked in the room, and tiptoed towards the bed. Sakura's eyes widened in shock when she saw that the bed was empty…

'_Where did Syaoran go? Did something happen to him?'_ Sakura thought panicking. She looked all around the room, and then noticed that his veranda doors were open. She stepped out on to the veranda, but he was not there either. '_Ah! I'll just search for his aura!'_ Sakura thought. She concentrated hard, and his trace hit her hard. She nearly fell over from the impact. She looked to the cherry blossom tree next to the veranda.

In the tree sat Syaoran with a peaceful look on his expression, and the light breeze blew through his chocolate brown hair. Sakura smiled in relief. Thank goodness he was all right! Sakura carefully climbed over the veranda, and she placed herself next to Syaoran in the tree.

"Good morning Sakura," Syaoran said with a smile.

"Well…it is a little closer to afternoon now," Sakura said smiling back.

"Really? I didn't realize," Syaoran said, gazing at the Li garden again.

"When did you wake up?" Sakura asked.

"Just a few minutes ago," Syaoran said rather blankly, and there was a slightly disturbed look on his face. Sakura took notice of the look.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concerned.

"It's nothing," Syaoran said with a slight smile. Syaoran thought back to his awakening as he stared at the garden still.

Syaoran's flashback

Syaoran awoke drowsily and nearly shut his eyes again from the sunlight. He sat up, which he found as a good method to wake himself up. He faintly remembered last night, but he quickly tried to shove it from his memory. He slowly raised himself out of bed, and then walked towards the closet. He picked out an outfit from his many selections and put them on.

Syaoran walked to his mirror above the dresser and looked to see. He wore a green t-shirt underneath a white, open short-sleeved dress shirt. He also wore baggy, jean shorts that went down to his knees. Syaoran then checked his hair. Messy. Just the way he liked it. His face was clear and his eyes still green. Wait a minute…GREEN EYES?

Syaoran nearly fell over at the sight of his newly colored eyes. Since when were his eyes green? He went to get another look. They were still green. He then blinked, hoping to see his usual amber. They were STILL green. '_What in the world is going on?' _Syaoran thought. He was so very confused, and he was slightly panicking. Stepping away from the mirror for a second, he took a deep breath and calmed himself down.

After several deep breaths, he walked back to the mirror. His eyes had returned to their amber color. Syaoran sighed in relief. What would he have said to his mother if she had seen? Oh, I got new contacts? That would never have worked.

Now calmed down and in need for fresh air, he opened his veranda doors and climbed over to the cherry blossom tree next to it. The breeze waved calmly through his hair. He sat, contemplating on whether it was a dream or real life that his eyes had changed color.

Present

Sakura saw the look on his face as he remembered.

"Are you all right?" Sakura asked, concerned. Syaoran sent a smile towards her.

"I'm fine," he said, in his normal tone.

"I didn't know you had a cherry blossom tree next to your veranda. I have one just like it near mine too," Sakura said taking notice of the similarity.

"That would be because your room is next to mine," Syaoran said trying to hold in a giggle. Sakura sweat-dropped as she realized. The tree was between both of their verandas, meaning their rooms were next to each other. Sakura blushed in embarrassment. How could she have not realized that his room was next to hers?

"W-Well…um…Oh! We should let everyone know that you're awake!" Sakura said preparing to climb over to the veranda off the tree. She raised herself to her feet. Although, when she moved, she accidentally slipped. Sakura began to fall off the tree and gravity pulled her quickly towards the ground.

"SAKURA!!" Syaoran cried as he leapt off the tree after her.

Sakura felt her land in someone's arms. She looked up to see Syaoran staring down at her. Or was it really Syaoran? This Syaoran had green eyes, and she knew _her_ Syaoran to have amber eyes. The other problem was…they were not on the ground. She felt them both land lightly on the ground, and Syaoran placed her back on her feet.

Sakura stepped back to take a look at him. His eyes were still green, and strangely enough, white, flowing wings had sprouted out from his back. Syaoran looked back at the wings with his eyes widened in shock.

"W…What…" was all Sakura could say, due to surprise.

"Sakura…" Syaoran started, looking back at her with a worried glance.

"…I think there is something wrong with me."

Lilover131: There was Chapter 10! I really hope you liked it. In the next chapter, Syaoran struggles with control over his newly appeared wings, which leads to a bump on the head, and the S+S moments I KNOW YOU ALL LOVE!! Please send reviews!!


	11. New Mysteries, New Memories

'Disclaimer: I don't own ccs or the characters! Although, I wish I did!

Lilover131: Welcome back! Thanks for reading this far through, and a special thanks to everyone who sent reviews! Arigatou! For those who are curious, the reason as to why I didn't update in like 2-3months, is because of the horrible writer's blocks and the TONS of homework from school! Well anyway, here's chapter Ten!

**Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Ten: New Mysteries, New Memories**

Flashback of Last chapter

"_W-Well…um…Oh! We should let everyone know that you're awake!" Sakura said preparing to climb over to the veranda off the tree. She raised herself to her feet. Although, when she moved, she accidentally slipped. Sakura began to fall off the tree and gravity pulled her quickly towards the ground. _

"_SAKURA!!" Syaoran cried, as he leapt off the tree after her. _

_Sakura felt her land in someone's arms. She looked up to see Syaoran staring down at her. Or was it really Syaoran? This Syaoran had green eyes, and she knew her Syaoran to have amber eyes. The other problem was…they were not on the ground. She felt them both land lightly on the ground, and Syaoran placed her back on her feet. _

_Sakura stepped back to take a look at him. His eyes were still green, and strangely enough, white, flowing wings had sprouted out from his back. Syaoran looked back at the wings, and his eyes widened in shock._

"_W…What…" was all Sakura could say, due to surprise._

"_Sakura…" Syaoran started, looking back at her with a worried glance. _

"…_I think there is something wrong with me."_

Present

The couple all stood frozen by the shock that overcame them. Sakura stared at Syaoran as he stared back at her. Syaoran's eyes were now green, which glowed of power, and he held a look of confusion. The white-feathered wings that lie on his back were folded in shyly.

"Syaoran…" Sakura started before she heard a voice come from the other side of the garden.

Syaoran ran out of sight and hid behind the tree.

"Miss Kinomoto!" Meilin said running out into the Li garden towards Sakura.

"Um…hey Meilin-chan!" Sakura stuttered out rather nervously.

"Have you seen Syaoran anywhere? We went in his room to check on him, and he wasn't on his bed," Meilin asked, glancing in every direction. Sakura gazed to Syaoran quickly who shook his head. He was not ready to be found.

"No. I'm afraid I haven't," Sakura said in a way that was almost not convincing. Although, Sakura not being a liar, was well trusted.

"I see…" Meilin said, disappointed.

"Please look out for him then," Meilin said to Sakura.

"I will," Sakura assured as she watched Meilin head back towards the mansion.

Sakura walked towards Syaoran, who was still hidden behind the tree.

"Syaoran…why are you afraid to show yourself?" Sakura asked. Syaoran blushed.

"What do you think everyone would think if they saw me like this?" he answered embarrassed. Sakura smiled.

"Syaoran…do you honestly think they would be ashamed of something so…beautiful?" Sakura said, as she grazed her fingers across the wings.

The sensation of Sakura's fingers gently on his wings sent tingles down his spine. The feeling was actually rather soothing. One of the tingles then made him shiver. The shivering upset his wings, and then spread out wildly and shot him off the ground. He did not go far. He had apparently used the tree branch as a brake…by accident. Syaoran held his head in pain.

"Dammit! That hurt!" Syaoran yelled holding the fresh bump on his head. Suddenly, while he was in mid-air, the wings disappeared in a flash and sent him down towards the ground. Sakura ran worriedly to Syaoran as he hit the ground.

"Are you all right?" She asked concerned. He lay on his back and nodded slowly. "I-I'm all right," he stuttered out wincing a bit.

Sakura looked at his eyes, which had returned to their normal color.

"Your eyes…they are amber again," Sakura said. Syaoran sat up and sighed.

"So you saw them…"

She kept a straight gaze with him.

"What is happening to you?" she asked. Syaoran ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

"I don't know."

Their thoughts were interrupted as they heard a bark like sound. They gazed around them and saw a little Kohaku dashing towards them. He immediately pounced on Syaoran and began licking his face. Syaoran smiled a big grin from the tickling feeling. Sakura smiled warmly. '_Two little wolves…what an adorable sight!' _Sakura thought to herself as she enjoyed Syaoran's laughter. She didn't get to hear it often.

After about five minutes of non-stop tickle fights, Syaoran gave up and Kohaku stepped off of him. He was still left smiling, which melted any heart that saw it. Syaoran and Sakura sat against the cherry blossom tree now in complete peace. They were once again were lost in the Li garden's beauty.

"My father…used to play with me here," Syaoran started.

"I didn't like going to bed, so I would run from my father and he would chase me around the garden. We would run until I got tired, and I would fall asleep against this tree…" Syaoran said as he looked up at the tree they sat against.

"…And when I fell asleep, he would carry me upstairs to my room…where he would tuck me in…" "…And before he left…he would tell me that he would always protect me," Syaoran said with a smile. Sakura frowned. He had lost more than just his father that day. He had lost his best friend.

Sakura buried her head in his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry…" Sakura said. Syaoran looked to her a little bit confused.

"In the end…he died protecting you…" Sakura said with her head still buried. Syaoran eye's widened for a second, and then he lowered to a calm, serious expression.

"I'm assuming my mother told you?" Syaoran asked with his eyes now closed. Syaoran felt her nod, and her face did not lift up from his shoulder.

He opened his eyes as he felt a wetness forming on his shoulder.

"Sakura?" Syaoran asked concerned. He lifted her face from his shoulder and saw tears flowing from her glowing emerald eyes.

"Sakura, what's wrong?" Syaoran said, his hands wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Its just…y-you must be so sad!" Sakura said, gazing at him sadly. Syaoran smiled.

"I'll always be sad about it Sakura…but it doesn't mean I can't be happy too…" Syaoran took hold of her hands and held them to his heart.

"You made me happy again, Sakura. That is why I fell in love with you," Syaoran said with his eyes boring into her soul.

Sakura smiled and immediately Syaoran smiled back.

"I fell in love with you…because you made me happier than I ever could have been," Sakura said as her eyes emitted the same effect as Syaoran's. Within seconds, the two pulled each other into a tight embrace wishing to never let go. They then loosened their embrace, although not completely, and became lost in each other's eyes.

Within both of them was a longing. A longing to be closer than they already were. Their faces began to lean in, as they came closer, closer, and just before their lips met…

"SYAORAN!! SAKURA-CHAN!!". The couple nearly jumped and looked to see everyone heading in their direction. All of them looked angry, but relieved as well.

"We've all been worried sick about you!" Meilin said with her hands on her hips. The four sisters all embraced him tightly causing him to lose oxygen.

"Syaoran! We thought we lost you!" the sisters said not realizing they might really lose him if they didn't loosen their hold.

Sakura could only laugh at the mini family reunion. When the sisters finally realized their younger brother was lacking in oxygen, they released him. Yelan then approached and gazed at the tree behind him.

"Were you here the entire time?" she asked. Syaoran nodded. Yelan's eyes held a slight look of pain but then went to peace. This tree was so special to them…

Yelan's flashback

"Daddy!" called a 3-year old Syaoran. Li Kyo picked up his son high in the air and then placed him back on the ground. He ran his hand through Syaoran's messy brown hair.

"Hello, Syaoran," Kyo said. Kyo had been training with his sword. Little by little, he was mastering it. Little Syaoran tugged at his father's robes.

"Daddy, can I hold your sword?" Syaoran asked with a smile. Kyo nodded.

"You may only hold it. It is dangerous to try using a sword without experience."

"I **_can _**use a sword!" Syaoran said, looking slightly angered.

Kyo laughed.

"Using a stick like a sword is hardly considered experience," he said as Syaoran scowled. Kyo handed the sword to his son, who gazed at in interest. Syaoran gazed at his reflection on the well-polished blade. Even if he only held it, he could feel the power emitting from it…and from it came a look of determination.

"I am going to become as strong as you, Otousan!" (Otousan-father) Syaoran said looking up at his father.

Kyo placed his hand on Syaoran's shoulder.

"No, Syaoran. You'll become even stronger." The father and son flashed identical smiles and fell into an embrace. Cherry blossom petals from the tree beside them fluttered around the two. Yelan smiled at the cherry blossoms that cascaded in the wind like snow. She believed that it was called 'Sakura' in Japan. Sakura…what a beautiful name…

End of Yelan's flashback

"Okaasan?" said Shieta to her mother who seemed to be in a daze. Yelan was snapped out of her trance and turned to her daughter.

"Yes? What is it?"

"The others are heading inside," Shieta said gazing towards the group of teens that were leaving the Li garden. Syaoran and Sakura held hands as they laughed from the conversation with Tomoyo, Meilin, and Eriol.

"Sakura and Syaoran get along quite well, don't they?" said a voice from behind her. She turned around only to see no one was there. '_That's strange_' Yelan thought as she looked around her surroundings further. Suddenly, she felt a cold breeze. That was unusual during the hot summer in Hong Kong. '_Take care, Yelan. I'll always be watching over you_' said the voice again, only in her mind. She recognized this voice. It was a voice she believed she would never hear again.

"Kyo…" Yelan whispered to the wind. Perhaps…Kyo had never truly left them…because though his body was gone…his spirit remained with them.

Lilover131: How was that chapter? I know it wasn't as exciting as the last ones, but I felt we needed a little more peace in this chapter. I hope I got in enough S+S for those who requested it! I'll try to get in much more as the story continues…but, if there is a certain scene you would like to see happen, please tell me in reviews, or e-mail. Until next time!


	12. Unexpected Storm

Disclaimer: I don't own ccs or the characters! Although, I wish I did!

Lilover131: Hey! Thanks for those who reviewed! I hope that all of you are having a great vacation! Well, anyways, here is Chapter Eleven!

**Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Eleven: An Unexpected Storm**

Eriol Hiiragizawa sat in the living room of the Li mansion. The television that had been shattered yesterday was already replaced. Well, since they were so rich Syaoran could break as many as he wanted…or maybe not. Last night was quite a show to Eriol. He had never seen such a power display from Syaoran before. '_I mean, after all, he is **my** descendant!_' Eriol thought with a light chuckle.

Although everything seemed back to normal today, Eriol still felt that something was a little off. It was the way Syaoran was acting today. Only Eriol noticed, and he was surprised that no one else had realized. Syaoran…was happy. Surely after being insulted and being attacked by the person who murdered your father would make you a little…well…upset! The night had been so eventful and yet the next day, it was as if nothing happened.

Eriol watched as Tomoyo and Sakura engaged in conversation.

"The weather is so nice here in Hong Kong, isn't it?" Sakura said to her friend. Tomoyo nodded.

"It seems to get very hot here during the summer," Tomoyo said. Eriol looked outside. The sun was sending rays of light directly into the room, and the slow moving clouds drifted slowly across from time to time. The birds were lively, and the cool breeze seemed to be the only thing that kept everything at a reasonable temperature in the unmerciful summer heat.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" they all heard Meilin say as she walked in with Syaoran. The cousins came in with trays of cold drinks. Syaoran walked over to Sakura with her drink.

"Arigatou, Syaoran," Sakura said (Arigatou-Thank You) taking the drink out of his hand. Meilin handed a drink to Tomoyo also earning her thanks. Eriol watched as Syaoran approached him with a drink as well.

"Here," Syaoran said without making eye contact.

"Arigatou, Syaoran-kun," Eriol said taking hold of the offered drink. Syaoran seemed shocked for a moment because he called him by his name. Although, he quickly sent a glare towards him and turned back to sit down.

"It's good to have a nice cold drink on a hot day like this!" Meilin said also grabbing a drink, and sitting down. Sakura sat in between Tomoyo and Syaoran on a couch for three, while Meilin and Eriol sat on the other for two.

"Tomoyo and I were talking about the weather here. It's so nice!" Sakura said with a smile.

"Yes, the weather is nice, but if only it weren't so HOT!!" Meilin said. At least there was air conditioning inside.

"I hope it will be clear tonight," Sakura said. She wanted to see the stars tonight!

"It looks like there will be a storm tonight…" Eriol said with a slight chuckle. Sakura's eyes flashed in confusion.

"Hoe?"

Syaoran glared. '_He knows something that he's not telling us!_' Syaoran thought. Eriol's ability to see the future was the most annoying part about him. He always **knew **too much. Eriol saw Syaoran's glare and only chuckled again. Meilin also looked confused. '_Did Clow Reed really act like this?_' Meilin thought. Tomoyo, even as observant as she was, was stumped. Considering that she could not see into the future, it was impossible to guess what thought had just appeared into his head.

After they realized that he wasn't going to tell, they just left it at that and continued to talk.

"Tomoeda has been so different without you guys there!" Sakura said to Meilin and Syaoran. The two smiled.

"I'm sure it hasn't changed that much," Meilin said.

"How has everyone been?" Syaoran asked.

"Well…Chiharu and Yamazaki are now going out. Naoko has gotten a little better at gym, and she still reads a lot of books. Rika is still going out with someone older, and well…she hasn't changed much," Sakura said.

"I see," Syaoran said smiling. Syaoran looked to the television.

"Is that television new?" Syaoran asked Meilin, who nodded.

Kero and Suppi flew in suddenly. Luckily, everyone in the Li grounds knew about magic, so they could fly freely without worry of being seen.

"Yo! What's up everybody!" Kero said, holding a drink as well. Suppi remained silent and sat down next to Eriol. Kero flew up to Syaoran.

"Hey! Long time, no see Kid!" Kero said staring at him with his beady eyes.

"You brought the stuffed animal with you?" Syaoran said, looking to Sakura. "Hey! Who are you callin' a stuffed animal?" Kero yelled, enraged.

"You may have a lot of magic now, but I still can beat up a brat like you!"

Eriol saw Syaoran's expression change from annoyance to surprise.

"What?" he asked looking slightly confused. Eriol's azure blue eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Last night, Syaoran had enough power to squash 500 of you!" Meilin said, bragging to the beady-eyed guardian.

"Last Night…?" Syaoran asked, although no one was listening except for Eriol.

" Ha! That puny little power gain was nothing! I could still beat him even in this form!" Kero bragged.

"…Power gain?" Syaoran said while looking even more confused.

"Brat! You still haven't seen my true form have you? Well, that form is so strong, that it would make even that Naraku dude who attacked last night run in fear!" Kero said to Meilin.

Eriol saw Syaoran's eyes widen at the name 'Naraku', and he then saw him suddenly grab hold of his head in pain. Everyone looked to Syaoran.

"Syaoran! What's wrong?" Sakura asked concerned.

"…My head!" was all Syaoran could mutter out while he was still in pain. Suddenly, the pain stopped abruptly and several images flew into his head. The group saw him look first to the television, and then to the ceiling. His expression was disturbed. Eriol recognized the look as something Syaoran should have had today.

"Syaoran-kun…" Eriol started.

"…You don't remember what happened last night, do you?"

Syaoran stood up, a serious look etched on his face.

"I just remembered," he said, beginning to walk away from the room.

"You really didn't remember ANYTHING?" Meilin asked. Syaoran only shook his head, and he didn't even look back at them.

"I'll be right back," Syaoran said looking slightly pale. The group watched as he left the room, and then they gazed to each other in concern.

"He doesn't look too good," Tomoyo stated with worry in her violet eyes. Sakura nodded while her emerald eyes glowing in concern. Meilin looked to Kero.

"It's YOUR fault! You had to go and blurt out those things and upset him!" Meilin yelled, pointing her finger accusingly.

"Hey! It is NOT!! How was I supposed to know that he didn't remember?" Kero yelled back equally as hard. Sakura watched helplessly as Meilin and Kero accused each other of upsetting Syaoran.

"It's no one's fault," Eriol suddenly spoke up, thus silencing the fight immediately. Everyone's gazes turned to him.

"The loss of memory is a fairly common side effect of high magic use," Eriol said.

"It normally happens from not resting enough to recover it…or as some sort of defense mechanism"

"Defense mechanism?" Tomoyo asked, as the others seemed curious as well.

"What is a defense mechanism?" Sakura asked, confused.

"Defense mechanism is a mental activity that suppresses unwanted thoughts, emotions, or memories," Eriol answered.

"So while he was resting, his mind erased the memory of last night?" Meilin asked. Eriol nodded.

"You see…he didn't remember, because he didn't WANT to remember. Although, when Keroberos was speaking, he was struggling to remember what happened last night. When 'Naraku' was said, it unlocked everything," Eriol stated. Everyone remained quiet, unsure of what to say.

"It's almost like a password," Tomoyo said. Eriol adjusted his glasses.

"I guess you could say that"

Sakura looked in the direction Syaoran had left.

"I'm going to check on him," Sakura said. She raised herself off the couch and headed out of the room.

Syaoran stood in his bathroom washing his face with cold water. His head still throbbed from the flood of memories earlier. Although, the pain did not bother him, the one thing that did was 'Naraku'. '_Why…?_' Syaoran thought as he remembered Naraku's attacks. '_Why…has he returned? What does he want from me?_' Syaoran thought as he recalled the dream from last night. _"Why… are you…doing this?" Syaoran said. "Because…you're the only thing that stands in my way!". _Syaoran splashed more water onto his face, and then he looked at his reflection in the mirror.

"In the way…of what?" Syaoran asked himself.

Was Naraku after control of the clan? That couldn't be possible. He was not in control of the clan yet, so attacking him would be unnecessary. There must be another reason. Could it possibly have to do with honor? Revenge? Suddenly, familiar words rang in his head. '_Revenge…_'.

"_Leave **now**," Syaoran said coldly. _

"_Leave?" Naraku said as if it were a joke. _

"_Leave my REVENGE? You're as pathetic as your father!!"_

Syaoran sighed in frustration, but then his eyes flashed in anger and determination. Despite Naraku's reasoning's, he would not lose.

Syaoran's thoughts were interrupted as someone knocked on the door.

"Syaoran?" said a soft voice from outside. He recognized it as Sakura's voice.

"Y-yes…?" he asked.

"Are you all right?" Sakura asked through the door. Syaoran could only smile from her concern. He opened the door and looked into her emerald eyes.

"I'm fine. I just have a headache," Syaoran said.

"Is there any way I can help?" Sakura asked, looking helpless.

"I don't think much can be done for a headache," Syaoran said, not wanting to burden her in any way.

"Will this help?" Sakura said as she leaned up and placed a light kiss on his forehead. Syaoran's eyes widened, and a bright red blush swept across his face. Sakura backed away shyly.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that!" Sakura said with a blush forming on her face as well. Syaoran smiled and shook his head.

"No! Not at all! Actually, I don't even feel my headache anymore!" Syaoran said pointing to his head. Sakura looked up to him again.

"Are you sure?" Sakura asked, not totally believing him. Syaoran nodded.

"I feel much better"

Sakura gave a bright smile, and while holding hands they headed back to the living room.

After they returned, Eriol explained to Syaoran what had happened to him just as he described to the others. Syaoran didn't seem surprised.

"I guess that makes sense," Syaoran commented after the explanation. Eriol prepared to ask the question that made him the most curious.

"Syaoran…do you know where that magic came from last night?" Eriol asked, his expression serious. Syaoran only shook his head.

"I don't know where it came from. I just got angry, and it suddenly let loose."

Eriol sensed something different about Syaoran's aura. It was constantly ravaging, although in a controlled manner, and somehow he felt some sort of balance in Syaoran's magic. A balance…of light…and dark.

Strangely enough, no one had noticed this difference. He would have expected Sakura to notice right away, but she seemed to be lacking in observation skills today. '_She's probably still overwhelmed by all that's happening_' Eriol thought. She was only trying to make things normal again. Nobody would blame her for it. They didn't exactly have one of your friendly welcomes. Syaoran was trying to act as normal as possible to hide the fact of how NOT normal he was. He didn't want any of them to worry…so he pretended as if it were nothing.

Eriol knew Syaoran too well though, and he knew that something else had happened besides the things he had been told about. Sakura was also trying to act casual. She thought that if word about the wings incident got out, he might be angry with her. '_He's not ready to tell about it yet_' Sakura thought. Then all magicians and non-magicians maintained a normal conversation for the rest of the afternoon.

Later that Night… 

Syaoran sat on the cherry blossom tree in the Li garden with a book and a flashlight in his hands. On clear nights he would read a good mystery novel with a flashlight on the tree. This came as a sort of habit over the summer. He lifted his eyes from the novel for a moment to gaze at the moon. The moon had a beauty to be admired. The moon was so powerful, yet guided by other forces. '_Just imagine if the moon was able to shine on its own_' Syaoran thought.

His thoughts were interrupted as he heard the low howling of a wolf. Syaoran looked down to the ground, and there stood little Kohaku with his head held up high.

"Kohaku's singing!" said a voice from his right. There stood Sakura with her irreplaceable smile. Syaoran gave one of his rare smiles.

"I suppose he is…" He said, looking back to the scene. Sakura's eyes glowed a magnificent emerald under the moonlight.

"Isn't it so pretty?" Sakura asked with her expression exploding in happiness. Syaoran looked to her.

"It's about the second most amazing thing I've ever seen," Syaoran said. Sakura tilted her head in confusion.

"The second…? What is the first?" Sakura asked. Syaoran leaned close to her and whispered in her ear.

"_You_"

A bright red blush covered Sakura's face as he leaned away to look at her eyes. The two began to lean in close, and their lips were just about to meet… '_Eriol was wrong. It's completely clear out tonight. Nothing could possibly go wrong' _Sakura thought to herself. This night was going perfectly. Then, their lips were about a millimeter apart when…

"GAKI!!!" shouted a voice below them (gaki-brat or punk). The couple both looked down to see someone they hadn't expected to see…Touya Kinomoto. Sakura jumped in surprise and nearly fell off the tree again.

"Touya? What are you doing here?" Sakura asked. Syaoran only glared.

"You thought I was really going to leave you alone with the brat?" Touya yelled infuriated at what he had seen.

"Hello Sakura-chan!" said another voice. Sakura looked and saw that Yukito was also there!

"SAKURA-CHAN!!" yelled another voice. Nakuru was also there!

The couple climbed off the tree and met with the new visitors. Touya immediately sent glares at Syaoran, who sent equally back. Yukito and Nakuru were telling Sakura the situation as to their arrival.

"Touya was worried about you being on your own, so he put off a whole week of part-time jobs to come here!" Yukito explained.

"Shut up!" Touya yelled at Yukito, and then returning to his glares at Syaoran. Nakuru's explanation was just because she felt left out that Suppi and Eriol went without her. Not to mention following Touya.

"I swear…if you did anything to her, I'm going to tear your limbs off!" Touya yelled, angered.

"Oniichan!" (Oniichan-big brother) Sakura yelled. Suddenly, Touya winced in pain. The four looked down to see that Kohaku had bitten Touya in the leg (don't worry. It was a tiny bite).

"Damn mutt!" Touya said as he shook Kohaku off his leg.

"Serves you right!" Syaoran said with a smirk on his face.

"That's it! Do you wanna fight!!!" Touya shouted, enraged.

"Bring it!" Syaoran said, getting in a fighting position.

A giggling came into the garden behind Sakura. She turned to see Tomoyo. Her friend walked up to her with a look of realization in her amethyst eyes.

"I think this is what Eriol meant by a there being a 'storm' tonight!" Tomoyo said, giggling. Sakura thought about it and ended up laughing too. It was moments like these that she would never take for granted. Surely…this was an unexpected storm. Not that of weather…but of an unwanted reunion between two boys.

Lilover131: How was that chapter? I tried to make it still a little peaceful. Although, more action will come soon! I'm still up for ideas, and I will take them seriously, and consider them. Well anyway, for Touya, Yukito, and Nakuru fans, they have officially entered the story! See you next time! Keep reading! Send reviews!!


	13. Chaos at breakfast

Disclaimer: I don't own ccs or the characters! Although, I wish I did!

Lilover131: Hey everybody! I HAVE RETURNED!!! MUWHAHAHAHAHAH!!! Lol. Here's chapter 13! Enjoy!

**Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Thirteen: Chaos at Breakfast**

Syaoran stood in a familiar forest. He recognized it from the dream he had the night before his birthday. Was this a dream? It probably was, considering he didn't remember coming here. The forest was completely silent, and not even the wind made a sound. Suddenly, the howling of a wolf was heard. Syaoran almost seemed drawn to the sound, and he followed the howling to its source.

The howling led him the clearing he had been to before. He saw no wolf, and the howling disappeared. Syaoran looked up the moon, which was full and shining at its highest glory. The light that emitted from it was mesmerizing, and it was rather hard to look away from. It was shining brighter than it had ever shone before. Suddenly, a dark shadow fled across, completely enveloping it's light. The forest became so dark, that not even city lights could puncture the darkness.

Suddenly, half the moon's light had returned, but half of the darkness remained. A voice that seemed familiar then spoke into his mind.

"_Where there is Light, there is also Darkness," _the voice said, echoing throughout his mind. Syaoran stared blankly at the now half-moon.

Suddenly, consciousness came back to him. He sat up on his bed, eyes half shut from the sunlight. '_Weird…_' was the only thought that came into his head. This dream wasn't peaceful or scary. Just weird. Syaoran gave a yawn and stood up to stretch. After a few good stretches, he did his daily push-ups and sit-ups, which he had forgotten to do yesterday.

The sun peaked through the glass doors of his veranda as if calling to him to get fresh air. Syaoran walked outside onto his veranda and was once again captured in the beauty of the Li garden. The heat was less intense today, but the light breeze remained. Syaoran's thoughts were interrupted as he heard the faint sound of singing…

**Loop – Translation (Maaya Sakamoto)**

Hey, while this town is covered by twilight,  
The morning sun is shining down somewhere else in this world.  
As that flower withers away in your hand,  
A little seed probably falls into the ground somewhere.

Syaoran began to climb off his veranda to search for the source of the voice.

If the trodden soil is called a path,  
Then is shutting my eyes love?

If our star was flat, the two of us wouldn't have met.  
We were running without slowing down,  
As if from each other. No matter how far apart we are now,  
We will surely face each other again in this revolving miracle.

As he climbed onto the cherry blossom tree, he noticed the singing had gotten louder. Syaoran peeked through a branch, and sees that it is Sakura who is singing as she is twirling and dancing on her veranda.

Hey, when the twilight passes from this town,  
Take my tears away too.

If a story of words is called a novel,  
Then are these words that can't reach you my dream?

Carried by fallen leaves floating in the river that flows without faltering,  
Became clouds with the sea and fell with the rain,  
I will raise this seed that fell near the distant you.  
If only you would notice me from your distant location.

Syaoran listened to her voice with a soft smile on his face. The sight of her dancing was heart warming.

Because our star revolves without stopping,  
The scenery outside the tiny opened window changes,  
And the flower I loved, we will surely face each other again,  
In this revolving miracle, in this sprouting season,   
We will surely face each other again.  
Round and round I go,   
Round and round around you.

He finally decided to emerge from his hiding place.

"Good Morning, Sakura," Syaoran said. Sakura was so startled that she nearly fell off the veranda.

"Ah! Syaoran! You startled me," she said. He smiled one of his rare smiles.

"You have a beautiful voice, Sakura," he said, as she blushed furiously.

"Y-you heard?" She asked. He nodded.

"I…don't think I'm very good at singing," she said, embarrassed. Syaoran shook his head.

"I thought it was beautiful. Will you please sing for me again someday?" he asked as she blushed further. Sakura then smiled and gave a nod.

Syaoran climbed onto her veranda, and the two of them both walked into her room.

"You seem to be in a good mood today," Syaoran stated as Sakura twirled unconsciously in happiness. Sakura blushed and then smiled.

"I had a wonderful dream last night!" Sakura said as she thought back about her dream.

"Really? What about?" Syaoran asked curiously. Her face turned bright red from embarrassment. She couldn't tell him about the dream! In her dream, she and Syaoran were flying together.

The two of them then heard a knock on the door, and Sakura motioned for him to hide himself. Sakura headed to the door, although it was opened before she could herself. Touya stood at the doorway with a look of suspicion on his expression. Touya glared around the room as if searching for something.

"W-what are you doing in here?" Sakura asked, pretending to be oblivious.

"I thought I heard you talking to the gaki in here," Touya said, still looking around.

"What? No! He's not in here! Why would he be in here?" Sakura said in a hardly convincing way. Touya began to search the room inch by inch, and she began to grow nervous. '_What if he finds Syaoran?'_ Sakura thought worriedly.

She saw Touya's eyes drift to a lump on her bed. '_You gotta be kidding me!_' Sakura thought. Why would he pick such a pathetic hiding place? Sakura felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Who knows what Touya would do to him if he found him THERE! Touya's fingers tightened onto the end of the blanket and then yanked it off quickly. Sakura closed her eyes without wanting to see Syaoran's death. Although, when she did not hear yelling, she opened her eyes. It was just a pillow. She sighed in relief. Touya only glared.

"Well…it seems he's not in here," he said as he headed for the door.

"See you at breakfast…kaijuu," (kaijuu-monster) he said with a grin on his face. Sakura glared in anger.

"I'm not a kaijuu!" she yelled, enraged. Before she could say any more, he shut the door behind him.

"Syaoran. You can come out now," Sakura said. She was wondering where he was herself. She turned around and saw him fall down from above in front of her. Sakura was startled but impressed nonetheless.

"You were on the ceiling?" she asked, amazed. Syaoran winked.

"It's a little trick I learned during my training," he said. Sakura laughed.

"That's amazing! I guess when I look for you now, I'll have to check the ceilings!" Sakura said. Syaoran smiled.

He then left Sakura to tidy up for breakfast. After all, he had to himself. He took a shower and then changed. When he arrived downstairs, he received a warm welcoming from his family and friends, but he received a glare from Touya of course. Breakfast was the same as it usually was. The only difference about today was that he had eight extra guests, which didn't even tell him they were coming (Sakura, Touya, Tomoyo, Eriol, Yukito, Nakuru, Suppi, and Kero). Yukito and Kero nearly ate all of the breakfast. Yukito knew when to stop, but Kero could care less.

Touya stared at Kero and realized that he wasn't pretending to be a stuffed animal anymore. After they figured out that Touya knew about their struggle, they weren't afraid to hide anything anymore. Although, it must have been odd to Yukito, who didn't know anything until he was told he wasn't human. Of course, Syaoran's sisters barely ate because they were too busy trying to flirt with Touya and Yukito. Syaoran found it funny though when Nakuru told them Touya belonged to nobody but her.

Yelan sat quietly, although she was amused by the teenager's behavior. She would stop it if it got out of control. Syaoran gazed to Sakura, who smiled brightly. Syaoran pulled his head down. He didn't like it when his family saw him blush. Nobody noticed except for Tomoyo who immediately pulled out her video camera for footage. After Syaoran yelled at her angrily, she turned the camera on Sakura, who blushed in embarrassment.

"Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura said, turning beat red.

"Sakura-chan, please let me film you in a Chinese outfit while we're here!" Tomoyo said.

Kero floated over to Tomoyo with some food remaining on his face (it won't last long).

"Film me later! I made a cool new pose!" Kero said, pretending to be sexy. Syaoran glared.

"Stuffed animals can do lots of poses, now can't they? I mean, considering they don't have bones…or a brain," Syaoran said, with a smirk. Fire was seen in Kero's beady eyes.

"Call me 'stuffed animal' one more time kid, and I'll crush you like an ant!" Kero said, obviously angry. Syaoran only smiled.

"…Stuffed animal"

Kero's anger scale exploded to uncontrollable. He transformed into Keroberos and tackled Syaoran right out of his chair and onto the ground. Everyone's conversation died, and they stared at the fighting guardian and boy.

"Kero-chan!" Sakura yelled at Kero angrily. Touya was cheering him on. Tomoyo was filming every detail. Eriol smiled. The sisters were trying to pull Kero's large lion body off of Syaoran. Yukito sat VERY still. Nakuru was also trying to pry Kero off him. Yelan was in complete shock. The future Li clan leader was being mauled by a giant stuffed animal.

When Sakura yelled at Touya for laughing, the entire room engaged in an argument. Syaoran struggled underneath Kero, screaming "GET OFF OF ME!!". Kero, deciding that he didn't want to move, sat on him.

"Get off of him!" The four sisters yelled, and their strength was not budging the lion. Touya was fighting with Sakura, and was trying to state how Syaoran deserved it. Eriol gazed to Yelan, who seemed ready to burst. A look of disapproval and anger shone in her dark eyes.

Suddenly, she stood up and slapped her hands down on the table. The entire room was silenced.

"That is quite enough!" Yelan shouted, with such power, that all of the people in the room bowed their heads in shame. Kero, even feeling guilty, stepped off of Syaoran who stood up. The look in her eyes was intimidating. No wonder Syaoran was afraid of his mother when it came to report cards! Yelan looked to her son, and her narrowed eyes demanded his apology. Syaoran looked to Kero.

" Keroberos…I-I'm sorry. What I said was inexcusable," Syaoran said, shocking everybody. Kero was the most shocked.

" Actually…I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have gotten so out of control," Kero said.

Everybody was shocked. Meilin was about ready to duck underneath the table and yell "IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD!!". Yelan smiled in acceptance. Then, Touya looked to Sakura.

"I-I'm sorry for being such a jerk since I arrived," Touya said, barely even making eye contact. The three amazing apologies brought up peace in the kitchen, which pleased Yelan immensely. Tomoyo was ready to faint. She had captured the entire thing on videotape! She would label it 'The power of a mother'…or something like that.

In the Library of the Li mansion

Eriol sat in the Li library. He was absolutely amazed at the enormous amount of books it held. There were so many books about magic, spells, martial arts, history, and regular novels. He loved books. When he heard there was a library here, he just couldn't resist. His eyes grazed across the binds, and he was looking for a story that best suited his mood. It would take a while, considering he had such a large selection. When Eriol found one, he made himself comfortable in one of the soft couches.

Eriol could read quite quickly, and he finished his novel in less than an hour. He immediately went to search for a second book. Once again, his eyes grazed across the bindings. He continued to look when his gaze came across an interesting book. The book seemed incredibly old and looked rarely touched. Although, what interested him the most was the strange aura around it. Eriol's hand went to reach it, but as his hand gripped onto it, another hand did as well. This wasn't just anybody's hand…it was Naraku's…

Lilover131: How was that chapter? I thought it was about time Naraku made another appearance. In the next chapter…well…I'm not telling you! Lol. Oh! I also have a Tsubasa story I'm working on! If you want it on Fanfiction, please tell me! I have about 8 chapters written, but I need inspiration to put it on! The next chapter might take a bit. I've got exams next week, and free time is going to be tight. Please send reviews!


	14. Love is an extinguisher

Lilover131: Hey! IT'S FINALLY HERE!! Chapter 14 of Cry of a Wolf! Those of you who think it's almost over, you're wrong! Too much left to happen. It would be a bad story if I ended it with this chapter, so ideas are open for a long time!

**Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Fourteen: Love is an extinguisher**

Eriol gazed to the person who stood next to him. Naraku was glaring at him with his dark, petrifying red eyes. He stood closer to Naraku then he ever had before, and he was close enough to see faint scars across his face. His black cloak covered the rest of his body, which probably had more scars. Naraku kept a calm, serious expression, although his eyes held anger and evil.

Eriol narrowed his eyes towards the evil next to him, but a grin formed on his lips.

"You're quite good at shadowing your presence, aren't you?" Eriol said, his expression holding interest. Naraku gave a wicked smile, which revealed his fangs.

"Yes. From hundreds of years of experience," he said while his hand was still gripped on the book. Finally, Eriol asked something he was determined to say the next time he would have seen him.

"I thought…that I sealed you in hell for good," Eriol said, his eyes glaring.

Naraku's grin widened.

"Ever since you died, the seal has weakened and I have become stronger. Ten years ago, I finally broke it," Naraku said, feeling pride, but hatred in his words. 10 years ago, Eriol had not yet regained all of his memories of his past life.

"I sealed you away because you tried to enslave the Li clan for power. Is that what you've returned for?" Eriol asked. Naraku only laughed.

"That goal is a thing of the past! The thing I now wish to obtain is far more valuable…" Naraku said. His eyes told that what he wanted would cause ultimate destruction in his hands.

Eriol didn't even need to ask what he wanted. He knew that whatever it could possibly be…was indeed too evil to let pass by. Eriol gave a glare similar to Syaoran's death glare.

"Then, I'm afraid I cannot let you go further…" Eriol said, as he reached for his key.

In the kitchen

Sakura and Syaoran stood in the kitchen washing dishes. Today was Syaoran's day to take care of them, and Sakura insisted on helping him.

"You really don't have to help me, Sakura," Syaoran said, feeling guilty that a guest was doing housework. Sakura only smiled.

"I don't mind at all! Besides, this way I can spend time with you," Sakura said as she looked at her reflection on the freshly clean plate. Syaoran smiled.

"Thank you," he said, causing her to blush.

Kohaku stood by their feet. He was simply there for company. The sunlight peeked through the window that entered the kitchen, thus causing the emerald embedded collar he wore to sparkle. Suddenly, Kohaku pulled his head up, and he was alert and positioned. Syaoran and Sakura both lifted their heads as well as a familiar presence entered their senses. Naraku was here somewhere…and Eriol's presence could also be felt. Eriol was in danger.

The couple dropped the dishes, dried their hands quickly, and dashed out of the room to where their senses led them. Kohaku followed right behind them. In the other room, Yelan was drinking tea when she felt the presence as well. Her dark eyes widened as she suddenly dropped her teacup. The cup shattered all over the floor. Quickly, she rose up and left the room towards the presence.

Upstairs, Touya and Yukito were talking in their bedroom (there is two beds). Touya was staring outside his window as Yukito was munching on snacks he had saved from the plane.

"I can't believe she offered to help that brat wash the dishes! She would never help me, even if I asked her!" Touya complained.

"Touya, why are you so mean to Sakura when you're trying to be protective?" Yukito said with a smile and a cookie from his snack bag in his hand.

"Who says I'm protective of her?" Touya said, glaring. Suddenly, Touya saw Yukito's eyes widen, and he suddenly sprouted wings. The wings enveloped him and he became Yue, guardian of the Clow (now 'Sakura') Cards. Touya's eyes narrowed.

"What's wrong?" Touya said, knowing that Yue only came out in a serious situation.

"Something evil is here," Yue said as he began to fly towards the presence with Touya following.

Kero and Suppi sat in the living room playing their new video games on the new television. Kero was rapidly pressing buttons and trying to prepare his fighter for his Keroberos super special. Suppi had managed to dodge it every time, but Kero was determined to make contact this time. He finally pressed the buttons, and by miracle he made contact!

"Yes! I finally hit you!! Beat that Suppi!!" Kero said. Although, Suppi was not near the controller. Suppi was standing near the window with a serious expression on his face.

"Do you feel that?" he said to Kero, who now began to take notice.

"Yeah…" Kero said with his eyes becoming alert. The two transformed into Keroberos and Spinel Sun and flew outside of the room towards the evil aura.

In the Li library

Eriol's key was transformed into the sun staff. He stood in a position ready for combat. Naraku only smiled and stood still. Eriol, all ready to attack, decided to make the first move. He threw several beams of water, which had more power than a fire hose. Naraku easily dodged each of them and swiftly charged at Eriol. His black blade was raised in the air and billowing down on the young magician, who quickly blocked with his staff. The two tried to push each other back and were both balanced. Each tried to apply more pressure and knock each other off balance.

"You've gotten weaker, Clow," Naraku said with a grin. Eriol only smirked back.

"…And…you've gotten stronger," Eriol said as his pressure began to falter.

When Eriol's hold collapsed, he quickly moved away from Naraku's deadly slashes. His slashes were beginning to become more accurate, and Eriol could only dodge. He saw Naraku prepare to swipe at him straightforward, signaling for him to duck. Although, his slash was a bluff, and his sword began to descend on him. Eriol just barely managed to jump out of the way, but now he was fully on the ground. Naraku stabbed it downwards towards the sprawled Eriol. He rolled quickly out of the way and managed to avoid the sword, which was now stuck in the ground.

Naraku sent an eerie grin and continued to attack the reincarnated magician. His attacks were performed so quickly that Eriol barely had a chance to balance himself correctly. Eriol may have been good at magic, but he was not as skilled at physical combat. Unfortunately, a book had been left abandoned on the floor in his path, causing him to fall down on his back. Naraku found this a good opportunity but failed as Eriol pulled his staff in front of him and used it to block his deadly blow. Suddenly, Eriol's aura erupted slightly enough to push Naraku away. As he was thrown back, Eriol muttered an incantation from his place and sent several beams at him.

Naraku growled in irritation and attempted to block them with only some success. The beams that made it around his barrier skid across his sides and burned to the touch. Eriol raised himself off of the ground and charged at Naraku at full speed. The evil before him smiled and suddenly disappeared. '_Where did he go?_' Eriol thought with his eyes gazing around him.

"You didn't used to fall for this trick…Clow," said a voice from behind him. Eriol's azure blue eyes widened. He turned to see Naraku with a look of success on his face, and his blazing red eyes burning onto him. He raised his black blade and was ready to make the final blow.

Eriol watched the sword descend onto him as if it were in slow motion. Although, as he watched this…something else came into his vision from the corner of his eye. Someone had appeared in light speed with a hard, swift kick aimed at Naraku. He was thrown into the large bookshelf, which knocked over from the impact. Books from the shelf were thrown off and piled themselves onto the evil's figure. Eriol looked next to him and saw that his savior had been Syaoran. He stood tall in his place with a look of anger in his intense amber eyes.

Syaoran stood there completely silent as Sakura quickly ran up to him.

"Eriol-kun, Are you all right?" Sakura asked, concerned about her friend. Eriol took a look at himself. No scratches or bruises.

"I'm fine Sakura-san. Thank you," he said to her with a thankful look. Syaoran stared at the pile of books. Naraku wasn't moving.

"Thank you Syaoran-kun. If you had not come to my aid just now, I would have been done for," Eriol said, stealing his stare away from the pile.

"Next time, don't expect me to save you," Syaoran said, his face now expressionless.

Eriol nodded in understanding, and then they all turned their heads to the others who entered the room.

"Where is he?" Yelan asked as she had her fan prepared.

"Currently under a pile of books it seems," Eriol said.

"Who is it that appeared here?" Yue asked with curiosity.

"That's kind of a long story…" Sakura said with a sweat drop. Touya's eyes were glaring in suspicion at Syaoran. Although, Touya's glare subsided when he saw a slight glint of sadness in his eyes.

Spinel Sun and Keroberos stood still without saying a word. Kohaku stood next to Sakura's leg, and she had her star staff transformed in her hands. Ruby Moon had flown in the room soon after the others, and she immediately tended to her master.

"What is going on here?" Ruby moon asked, as confused as Touya and Yue.

"Nothing. I just ran into an old friend," Eriol said as he assured her that he was not hurt.

"Why is he here?" Syaoran asked. Eriol shrugged.

"All he told me was that he is after something precious. I assume that in his hands, results could be disastrous," Eriol said with his eyes narrowed.

"What could possibly be precious enough that he would look for?" Kero said.

"Perhaps the clans power?" Spinel said. Eriol shook his head. Syaoran and Yelan's eyes widened in surprise.

"Then what is after…? If he's not after the clan, then _what_?" Yelan said with confusion in her tone.

Suddenly, the pile of books exploded and Naraku charged at the occupied group of magicians. His attack though…was directed at Sakura.

"Sakura! Watch out!" Syaoran said as he grabbed her and served as a human shield. Naraku's black blade sliced into Syaoran's waist, creating a large gash. He didn't scream from the pain, but instead squeezed Sakura tighter.

"Syaoran!" yelled Sakura. The couple fell to the ground, and Sakura was still in Syaoran's hold. The others immediately ran to them, and Naraku only stood still with his eyes and smile glowing in satisfaction.

Sakura was released by Syaoran's embrace and she got onto her knees.

"Are you all right?" Kero asked, concerned. Sakura's gaze was locked on Syaoran, who was now clutching his side in pain. Her eyes turned to the others, which were flooding with tears.

"Syaoran's hurt!!"

Yelan quickly cradled her son.

"Syaoran, are you okay? Do you need a doctor?" Yelan asked with a set of her own tears forming. His amber eyes opened slightly and he smiled.

"I'm all right mother. He just caught us off guard," Syaoran said as he tried to sit up.

When Naraku tried to approach the group, Kero and Spinel flew in front of him, signaling they would not let him pass. Kero's eyes widened slightly as he gazed at Naraku's appearance. He remembered him from somewhere…

"Move out of my way," he said with his blood red eyes narrowed. Kero's golden eyes glared at the evil before him. Kohaku stood next to Kero and Spinel, who were growling ferociously.

"You mess with the kid, and you deal with us!" Kero said angrily. Naraku glared. The beasts all then lunged at him, each biting him as hard as their jaws allowed. Naraku, enraged by this attack, sent them each flying in a different direction with a gigantic eruption of his aura.

"Sakura, are you all right?" Syaoran asked. She was his primary concern.

"I'm fine, thanks to you," Sakura said as she suddenly embraced him tightly.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your little moment, but I'm afraid I have to destroy all of you," Naraku said, interrupting their conversation. A giant surge of power formed into his hand, which he prepared to fire at the group.

"Goodbye," Naraku said as he fired the enormous blast. Eriol quickly grabbed the book closest to him and threw it in front of the beam. The beam was blocked, and the area exploded into large gusts around them.

"No! Damn you!" Naraku said, realizing what book he had just destroyed. Charred and burned on the ground was the book that had had the strange aura. Naraku growled in irritation.

"No matter. You will all perish here!" Naraku said as he laughed evilly. A flame was sent at the bookshelf and quickly it erupted into flames. The fire spread rapidly until the entire room was burning. Naraku had left their senses, signaling that he had left them to burn.

Touya, Yue, Eriol, Ruby Moon, Kero, and Spinel headed to the door. Yelan carried Syaoran in her arms, and Sakura followed closely behind her. Touya ran to every door in the room. All which were locked.

"Dammit!" Touya yelled, as he punched the wall. Sakura had a new set of tears forming. Syaoran would have been the one to calm her down, but he fell unconscious after the explosion from the book. Eriol attempted to stop the fire with water spells and each one failed.

"WATERY!!" Sakura said as her star staff released the spirit inside the pink colored card. Still, the fire did not die down. Even after Eriol and Sakura combined forces, it was still no use.

"I believe this serves as a problem…" Ruby Moon said.

"This is a magic fire. Only water spells that have more power than the spell can put it out," Spinel sun said. The group stood helplessly in the burning library. Their air supply was growing short due to the intoxicating smoke.

"What are we…going to do?" Sakura asked while coughing from the smoke. Touya pulled out his handkerchief and handed it to Sakura.

"Cover your mouth with this," he said. Sakura gave a thankful look.

"Thank you," Sakura said to her older brother.

The fire began looming in closer and soon grew dangerously close.

"SHIELD!!" Sakura yelled while attempting to protect them from the deadly flames. It protected them successfully…at least for the moment. Yelan felt for a pulse on Syaoran. She was worried about him being unconscious. His pulse was beating, but it was much slower than normal. His wound hadn't stopped bleeding yet, which concerned her quite a bit. She needed to stop his bleeding quickly, before he lost too much. Yelan placed Syaoran lightly on the ground so that he would be lower than the smokes fumes.

"Keroberos, Yue, Spinel Sun, Ruby moon, are you doing all right?" Eriol said to the guardians. They were all dodging debris and protecting the others below.

"We'll manage," Kero said.

"So how are we going to put out this fire and get out?" Sakura asked.

"Well…we'd have to create a water spell stronger than the magic used for this fire…" Eriol said. Sakura looked down disappointed.

"But…we used our water magic together and still…!" Sakura said. She was so confused!

"That's because Naraku's magic is so strong," Eriol said.

"So we're gonna die if we don't come up with enough magic?" Touya said. Eriol gave a grim expression.

"Well…yeah. Kind of"

Suddenly, the shield that Sakura put up lost its strength and gave up their protection. The flames flew in quickly, and they all scrambled closely together.

"What now?" Touya said, realizing they were in quite a bad situation. Suddenly, a beam from the roof fell close to them, causing Sakura to scream. Touya and Yue embraced Sakura to protect her from the fire. As if on cue after Sakura had screamed, Syaoran's eyes opened. Yelan looked down to see Syaoran's eyes gazing around. He was confused of his surroundings. A flame spurt dangerously close to Sakura, causing her to scream again.

"…Sakura…" Syaoran whispered, although only Yelan could hear it. Suddenly, his eyes widened and glew of a bright green. '_Green eyes? What is happening?'_ Yelan thought. Everyone's gazes went to Syaoran when they felt a sudden change in his aura. All of them stood in shock when a giant twister of water spun around them. The twister spun ferociously and put out all of the protesting flames. After it disappeared, the room was free of fire. As a matter of fact, it looked exactly the same as it had before! Syaoran's eyes closed tiredly and he drifted to unconsciousness again.

"…Amazing…" Yue said, baffled by the accomplishment.

Their attention was stolen when a door was busted down. Meilin, Tomoyo, and Wei all stood at the doorway. Meilin had her hands in fist. She had broken the door down.

"Is everyone all right?" Tomoyo yelled from across the room.

"…Yeah," Touya said, still in disbelief. Kero and Spinel transformed back into their temporary forms and Yue, and Ruby Moon did as well. Yukito blinked in confusion. Meilin gave Yelan a sudden look of concern.

"Auntie Yelan! You're bleeding!" Meilin said. Yelan looked on herself in surprise. Her arms and part of her dress were drenched in blood. This wasn't her blood…

Yelan gasped and quickly carried Syaoran to Wei.

"Please get him help quickly!!" she pleaded. Wei nodded and hurriedly ran with Syaoran outside of the room.

"We saw the smoke coming from the library…and we remembered hearing that Hiiragizawa-kun had come here…" Tomoyo said.

"And then…when we got here…we heard Sakura screaming…" Meilin said. Sakura walked up Meilin and Tomoyo with a smile.

"Thank you so much!" she said, as she then embraced them in a friendly hug. The group then left the library and went to the hospital…unaware of what tragedies might happen next…

Lilover131: How was that chapter? Was it exciting enough for you? The next chapter will explain Syaoran's condition, and how it's affecting everyone. Thanks for reading! Please send reviews!!


	15. A Smile says a Thousand Words

Lilover131: Hey everybody! I hope you enjoyed the last chapter! Well I hope you like this chapter!

**Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Fifteen: A smile says a thousand words**

The group was waiting impatiently in the hospital awaiting news on Syaoran's condition. It had been at least an hour and a half, and each minute seemed like an eternity. Finally, the doctor entered the room and was prepared to tell them the news.

"How is he?" Touya asked. For once he was concerned about him.

"Well…he's lost a lot of blood. Although, the wound missed all vital organs, and we replaced all of the blood. We've also stitched up the wound and bandaged it. So in other words…he'll be just fine," the doctor said. Everyone sighed in relief.

"I'm so glad!" Sakura said as she embraced everyone in happiness.

"When may we see him?" Yelan asked the doctor.

"Right now if you would like. Although, he's sleeping at the moment," the doctor said. The group was not surprised. After all, he should be fatigued from the blood loss and not to mention also the extreme power drain. Syaoran had saved them all from a horrible fire in the Li library. Unfortunately, when he tried to protect Sakura from Naraku's deadly attack, he was severely injured in the process.

All of them entered Syaoran's hospital room. He slept peacefully on his bed with his arms rested at his sides. His breathing was steady, and his skin was slightly pale.

"Are we in the room yet?" the group heard a voice say. It had come from Sakura's bag. Kero and Suppi flew out of the bag and gazed around the room.

"It's about time! We were waiting so long, I thought we were going to suffocate!" Kero said while taking deep breaths. Sadly, they weren't able to bring Kohaku with them, because no pets were allowed in.

Everyone smiled when Sakura took hold of Syaoran's hand and held it between both of hers. They all saw Syaoran's lips turn into a small smile. The sister's awed at the 'kawaii-ness'. Tomoyo immediately pulled out her video camera for the adorable footage. Touya normally would have been angry at this action, but he was forgiving this time considering that Syaoran was in the hospital for protecting his younger sister.

Later that day

After visiting him for about an hour and half, Yelan told them to go home and rest.

"I'll watch over Syaoran. You should all go back to the mansion and rest. It has been a long day," Yelan said.

"I'll stay too," Touya said. The group was a bit surprised at first, although they let it go rather quickly.

"Are you sure? You should really rest…" Yelan said.

"Mrs. Li, you deserve to rest too," Touya stated. Yelan smiled.

"Thank you."

Back at the Li mansion

The group arrived back at the Li mansion. They were tired and full of sadness that Syaoran could not come back with them. The sun was beginning to set, although the sky was clouded and dark. Wei was kind enough to make them all a good meal before bedtime. They ate their dinner and stared outside when it began to rain. Everyone looked concerned when Sakura didn't eat much. Suddenly, she rose up from her seat.

"I'm going to bed now. Thank you for the meal, Wei," she said, before cleaning up her plate and leaving the room. All looks in the room held concern and sadness. Nobody liked to see Syaoran hurt or Sakura sad. Both occurrences made a fairly heavy feeling of despair.

Sakura sat on her bed embracing her Syaoran bear tightly.

"Syaoran…" Sakura mumbled quietly. Her thoughts were interrupted when there was a knock on the door.

"C-Come in," Sakura said. The door opened, and there stood Fanren, one of Syaoran's four sisters.

"Are you all right? You barely ate any of your dinner," Fanren asked, concerned.

"It's okay. I'm fine," Sakura said, although she was not very convincing. Fanren sighed.

"Are you sad about Syaoran? The doctor said he would be fine," the sister said. Sakura then slowly nodded.

" I know…but…he's in the hospital because he was protecting me. I can't help but feel somehow responsible!" Sakura said, squeezing her Syaoran bear even tighter.

Fanren smiled, and placed her hand comfortingly on Sakura's shoulder.

"Syaoran protected you because he cares so deeply about you," Fanren said. Sakura's emerald eyes began to flow with tears.

"I care about him too! That's why I don't want him to get hurt for my sake!" Sakura said in between her sobs. Fanren eyes gave a sad gaze.

"Sakura…I know that if my baby brother cared about being injured, he never would have protected you like he did," Fanren said.

"He doesn't…care?" Sakura asked confused, and a face flooded with tears.

"He doesn't care about his injuries, which is why he gets hurt so often. Although, one thing he DOES care about Sakura…is you. Right now…if he knew you were crying over him, he would be very sad," Fanren said, as she handed Sakura a handkerchief.

"Syaoran will be fine. After he gets out of the hospital, we'll all go do something really fun together, all right? So in the mean time, _smile_. Not just for Syaoran, but for all of us," Fanren said with a comforting hug. Sakura flashed a bright smile and wiped her tears away with the handkerchief.

"Thank You. I really needed to hear that," Sakura said, grateful for the comfort.

"No problem. Now, get some sleep. We'll go visit Syaoran in the morning," Fanren said before leaving the room.

Sakura embraced her Syaoran bear tightly one more time and then drifted to sleep. The rain finally slowed to a stop just as Sakura's tears seized their falling as well. The entire mansion drifted into a peaceful sleep, and not even a surprise attack from Naraku could wake them up. (Just so you know, that's not going to happen…or SHOULD IT?!!)

Back at the hospital

Touya sat quietly in a chair next to Syaoran's hospital bed. He still seemed to be deep in sleep and Yelan had left the room for a moment to stretch. The only sound in the room was of Syaoran's steady breathing and the pattering of rain on the window. Touya always hated him, and for some odd reason…now seemed to be different. '_I hated him…because I knew he would be the one to win my sister' s heart. I thought he would take her away and not be able to keep her safe…but now he's here…BECAUSE he kept her safe'_ Touya thought.

Suddenly, he saw Syaoran stir and open his eyes. Touya's eyes widened slightly in surprise. He wasn't expected to awaken for several more hours. Even though he was awake now, it was evident in his amber eyes that he was still very tired.

"You should go back to sleep," Touya said. Syaoran's eyes drifted to Touya.

"Is…Sakura all right?" Syaoran asked with his voice barely coming out as even a whisper. Touya's eyes widened in surprise again. He forced himself awake to make sure Sakura was all right? These words seemed to create an all-new respect for Syaoran.

"She's fine," Touya said with a slight smile. Syaoran smiled.

"I'm…so glad," he said, still as barely a whisper.

"And the others…?" he asked again.

"They are also fine," Touya said. Syaoran sighed in relief.

"Sakura…has been worried sick about you…" Touya said.

"…She's worried…about me?" Syaoran asked, surprised.

"Kid…have you ever thought about protecting _yourself_ once in a while?" Touya asked. Syaoran gave a slight laugh.

"To be honest…no. I haven't," Syaoran said.

"I always do whatever I can to protect my loved ones…so whether I get hurt in the process… has never been much of an issue to me," he responded quietly.

"And what if you died?" Touya asked.

"That wouldn't happen. I would never leave my family and friends, especially Sakura, unprotected," Syaoran said. Touya's eyes widened in shock from his answer.

"Thank you…for protecting my little sister. But I swear, if you die, I'll never forgive you," Touya said. Syaoran smiled and drifted back into his peaceful sleep. Touya turned his eyes to the door when Yelan entered.

"Visiting hours are now over. We should return to the mansion and rest now," she said while placing a hand on his shoulder.

"All right. It seems the kid will be just fine on his own for the night," Touya said before rising up to leave. Yelan brushed Syaoran's bangs away from his eyes and kissed him lightly on his forehead.

"Sleep well, Syaoran," she said before they both left the room. Now, the only sound was of Syaoran's steady breathing and nothing more. The rain had now stopped.

The next morning

Sakura awoke to see Kohaku lying next to her. Sakura gave a light smile. Kohaku looked so adorable; just like a baby puppy. She rose off of her silk covered bed and gazed out of her veranda doors. The sky was clouded and dark, and it almost seemed as if it wasn't even morning. Sakura, confused if she had woken up early or not, gazed at the clock. It was 9:30 a.m. Not at all early. She stared in awe at the sky. It was so dark…

Sakura was startled when suddenly Kohaku brushed across her legs. She smiled and bent down to pet him. Kohaku then walked over to Sakura's bag. His small mouth reached inside and pulled out a thin, rectangular box wrapped in shiny green paper. Sakura gasped. She had totally forgotten to give Syaoran his birthday present…AGAIN!! '_I can't believe I forgot to give it to him again!' _Sakura thought, embarrassed at her forgetfulness.

"Thank you for reminding me, Kohaku. I'll give this to him when we visit him this morning," Sakura said, giving Kohaku a good scratch behind the ears as a reward.

Sakura took a bath and changed. Before she left to go downstairs, she carefully tucked the box inside her pocket. When she left the room, Yukito, Touya, Meilin, Tomoyo, Nakuru, and Eriol greeted her.

"Good morning everyone," Sakura said. Everyone greeted her back.

"Are you feeling better this morning? Last night, you didn't eat much and…" Meilin started. Sakura's eyes widened in surprise for a moment as she recalled her conversation with Fanren the night before.

"_Syaoran will be fine. After he gets out of the hospital, we'll all go do something really fun together, all right? So in the mean time, smile. Not just for Syaoran, but for all of us"._

As if on cue, Sakura gave a bright smile.

"Yes. Thank you for worrying about me. I'm really all right now," Sakura said. The entire group then sighed in relief.

Yukito and Touya were kind enough to make everyone breakfast that morning.

"We came so unexpectedly, so the least we can do is make breakfast!" Yukito said. The four sisters were swooning over the boys and complimenting their cooking skills. Eriol sat quietly drinking tea and reading a novel. Meilin, Tomoyo, and Sakura were talking and Kero and Suppi were floating above the food.

"It's so dark outside today…" Sakura said, gazing outside the window again.

"Yeah. The meteorologist said that there is a good chance for a storm tonight," Meilin said. Yelan then entered the room. She continuously showed her gratefulness for the cooking.

Soon after breakfast, the group drove off to the hospital to visit Syaoran. Luckily, it only stayed cloudy on the drive there. As soon as they walked inside, the rain began to pour. No one had trouble finding his room because the magicians of the group just had to follow his aura. They walked inside to see Syaoran awake, with his arms behind his head and his eyes staring mindlessly at the television.

"Syaoran! You're awake!" Sakura said happily as she quickly skipped over to him. Syaoran gave a smile to his family and friends.

"I'm glad you guys came. This place is so boring!" Syaoran said, showing them the only show worth watching…which was crap. Everyone laughed.

"That's what you get for getting yourself hurt!" Meilin said teasingly. Syaoran smiled.

"It was for a good cause," he said. Sakura looked down shyly and blushed.

"Although…" he started again.

"…I'll get out of here very soon."

Everybody's looks held confusion.

"Why's that?" Eriol asked. Syaoran smirked.

"Take a look," Syaoran said as he lifted his shirt slightly, showing them a wound that was almost COMPLETELY healed! Everyone's looks now held shock.

"Wow!" Sakura said.

"Syao was always such a fast healer…but this…" Shieta said, amazed at the progress.

"The doctors were surprised too. They said they've never seen such a fast healing wound. So…I can leave as early as tomorrow morning," Syaoran said. Every expression in the room held extreme happiness.

"That's so great!!" Sakura said as she flashed a bright smile and embraced Syaoran tightly. He blushed for a moment and then gently embraced her in return. When they released their hold on each other, as usual, they turned and saw Tomoyo recording them. When would the girl stop?

On the Hospital rooftop

The rain had stopped for a while, and Syaoran felt that he needed some fresh air. Hospitals for some reason seemed suffocating. Sakura decided to follow. The wind blew harder than normal but in a peaceful way.

"I never did thank you…" Sakura suddenly spoke.

"For what?" Syaoran asked.

"For protecting me," she said. Syaoran smiled.

"I had to protect my cherry blossom," he said as he pulled her into an embrace. She then spoke up before she forgot.

"I kept on forgetting to give you your birthday present, but now I have it with me," Sakura said as she reached into her pocket and pulled out the thin, green rectangular box.

"Happy belated birthday," she said shyly as she handed him the gift.

"…For me?" he asked, quite surprised. He hadn't really expected anything. Sakura nodded.

"I'm sorry for forgetting to give it to you on your birthday," she said, feeling bad. Syaoran surprised her by kissing her on the cheek.

"Thank you," he whispered in her ear.

He took the gift and slowly opened it so that he would not damage the paper too much. All that was left to open was the white box within the paper. When he opened the box, his eyes widened. Inside the box was a card…and not just any card…a Sakura card…and not just any Sakura card (Haha. When will the suspense stop?). On the card was a butterfly with wings in the shape of hearts. Inside the heart shaped wings were abstract designs of cherry blossom petals and moons. What interested him the most was the title, which wrote 'THE HEART'.

"I created it by accident when I looked at the moon one night…and it reminded me of you," Sakura said, blushing.

"Do you like it?" Sakura asked. She didn't know what she would do if he didn't like it! Syaoran turned to her with the best smile she had ever seen him do.

"This is the best gift I have ever received," Syaoran said. The look of his smile showed that he was genuinely touched. He didn't even have to tell her how much he loved it. His expression said all she needed to know. It's really true what the people say. A smile really does say a thousand words.

In Syaoran's hospital room

Eriol, Yelan, Yue, Nakuru, Kero, and Suppi were talking in the hospital room. Their expressions showed that their conversation was over a serious matter. Touya stayed outside to guard their conversation from being interrupted by the doctors.

"How could that wound have healed so fast?" Eriol asked confused.

"It seems strange enough to look into," Yelan said.

"What about that huge release of power yesterday? I do not recall the boy ever having that much power before," Yue said.

"Not to mention his eyes are not green…as they were yesterday," Nakuru said. Each question led to another.

"I noticed something different about Syaoran's aura," Eriol spoke up.

"His aura?" Yelan asked. What could be different about his aura?

"I felt a strange sort of…balance…in his aura," Eriol said.

"You mean…a balance of light…" Kero started.

"…And dark" Eriol finished. Yelan's eyes widened.

"That's not possible!" Yelan shouted suddenly.

"His heart is pure! If it were tainted in any way, we would have noticed!" Yelan said as she stood up, her eyes holding disturbance.

"I quite agree. Although, I can't help but think that he obtained this power somehow without noticing or us noticing. And maybe…that darkness has not yet surfaced," Eriol said. The room remained quiet as they thought over the possibilities.

Suddenly, all of their senses went wild when an all too familiar presence appeared.

"He's back again? Peace doesn't come easy these days!!" Nakuru said.

"Let's go!!" Kero said as they opened the window.

"It's coming from the roof," Yue said, as he flew out the window. The rest followed, and Kero and Suppi in their true forms carried Yelan and Eriol, who could not fly. They headed to the rooftop, unaware of what they might see. It seemed that Naraku would not rest until the job was done.

Lilover131: How was that chapter? I'm sorry it took so long. I've been short on ideas until now. The next chapter should come soon, so just be patient. I'm also sorry if you don't like the little cliffy. I just love them so much!! So, see you next time (if you still stick with my story that is). PEACE OUT!!


	16. Hospital rooftop fight

Disclaimer: I don't own ccs or the characters! Although, I wish I did!

Lilover131: Hey! I hope you all like the last chapter! I thought it might be a little nice twist if Naraku came back so soon after his last attack. You could say he's a little…persistent. I'm trying to revise my previous chapters, because they were full of grammar mistakes! I can't stand them! Anyway, here's chapter sixteen of Cry of a Wolf!

**Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Sixteen: Hospital rooftop fight**

Tomoyo always had an obsession with videotaping Sakura. She was known for pulling out her camera at the most random times, in some of the worst situations. Tomoyo had several reasons. First, she could get great footage. Second, they had something nice to look back on. Third, it could be used for strategizing (not that any of them really needed it), and fourth…she could use it to cheer Sakura up. You're probably wondering…how does a video camera make someone feel better? A video camera can make someone feel better, because they will think about old times, and precious moments, rather than the distress they deal with presently.

That is why Tomoyo is obsessed. '_Seeing Sakura blush in embarrassment, is a lot better than watching her tear her own heart out!_' she thought. Tomoyo was watching old and new S+S scenes on her camera. Meilin and her, decided to relax in the hospital cafeteria. The 'high and mighty magicians', needed to talk, so the two 'non-magic users' gave them their privacy.

"It's no fair! They can all use magic, and while they're in danger, we can't do a thing!" Meilin complained, while taking a sip of her juice.

"Meilin, there is a lot of things we can do to help, other than physically protecting them," Tomoyo said.

"Like what?" Meilin asked curious.

"We are the emotional support!" Tomoyo said with a grin, and a little giggle.

Meilin smiled, and gazed to Tomoyo's camera. On her tiny screen was Sakura and Syaoran embracing each other, when they had first arrived in Hong Kong. Tomoyo's amethyst eyes were full of sparkles. Meilin laughed.

"You're obsessed Daidouji-san!" Meilin said.

"Of course!" Tomoyo said with a bright smile, and her eyes glowing more than before.

"After all…I should tape them while their still happy…" Tomoyo said, quietly. Meilin became very quiet. Tomoyo then flipped to another scene. Sakura and Syaoran were sitting on a cherry blossom tree, and they nearly kissed.

"This is that footage you sneaked the other day, isn't it?" Meilin asked. Tomoyo giggled evilly.

"Sakura and Syaoran are alone on the roof right now," Meilin said. Tomoyo's eyes sparkled even more than before.

"Maybe they'll have their first kiss today!" Tomoyo said.

"I must get the footage!" she said, laughing, as she began to head towards the roof. Meilin sweat dropped, but then smiled.

"Daidouji-san never changes," Meilin said. Just as she said this, Tomoyo laughed loudly, and it echoed throughout the room, attracting strange looks. She needs a new hobby…

On the Hospital rooftop

Syaoran and Sakura both gasped when they felt the enormous evil aura. Why had he returned so soon?

"Do you feel that?" Sakura said, as they both gazed around them for the presence. "Yeah," Syaoran said, in a slightly angry tone. They looked around the whole roof, although they couldn't find him anywhere. He was here somewhere though. Suddenly, both of them felt the presence appear right behind them.

"Duck!" Syaoran said, as he pulled her down to the ground. They stared up and saw a sword that would have stabbed them, if they hadn't just ducked. The holder of the sword was of course, Naraku.

Naraku was glaring at them angrily, with his blood red eyes.

"Why won't you DIE!" Naraku yelled, infuriated, as he aimed his sword to the ground.

"Roll!" Syaoran said, as they both rolled in different directions, narrowly missing the sword. The two raised themselves off of the ground quickly, and met each other farther away from the enemy.

"He's starting to get on my nerves," Syaoran said to Sakura. Sakura glared at Naraku.

"Mine too," Sakura said. She hated him for hurting Syaoran like he did.

Sakura quickly pulled out her key.

"Key that hides the power of the stars! Reveal your true form before me!" Sakura chanted, as the Sakura card symbol formed underneath her feet. "I, Sakura, command you under our contract! RELEASE!". The star key transformed from a key, to a staff in a pink flash. Sakura took hold of the staff, and reached in her pocket for a card. Which one would work against Naraku?

"THUNDER!" Sakura yelled, as she aimed her staff at the 'THUNDER' card.

Several bolts of lightning came down from the dark clouds, onto the evil before them.

Naraku narrowly dodged the bolts of lightning. Each one never made impact, and he sent a burning glare in their direction.

"You all should have died! There was no way out of that library! None of you had enough power to put the fire out!" Naraku yelled angrily.

"Apparently…one of us did," said a voice. The three turned their heads towards the voice, and saw Yelan, Eriol, Spinel, Keroberos, Yue, and Ruby Moon. Naraku only groaned in irritation.

Syaoran looked to the evil, with his intense amber glare. He wasn't afraid of him anymore. Once he tried to attack Sakura and his family, his mind was filled with rage. He couldn't help but wince though, for strangely enough, every time he felt Naraku's presence, the scar on his arm burned. His newly received wound was also throbbing. These pains reminded him of the day his father was killed, and yesterday, when Naraku threatened the safety of his family and friends with the library fire. Each memory brought strong feelings of hatred.

Naraku smiled when he saw Syaoran's glare. There was pure loathing in his eyes. Naraku grinned evilly, revealing his fangs. At that moment, all of the guardians flew at him in attack. Yue and Ruby Moon threw crystals, while Spinel and Kero threw fire. Naraku pulled up his black cloak, which seemed to protect him from both. Yue and Ruby Moon then flew in at him at light speed with fists ready for contact. He seemed to easily dodge each blow, and finally blew them away with an eruption of his aura.

"I don't have time for this!" Naraku said, as he meandered around the opposing guardians, towards the glaring couple. The closer he came to them, the more Syaoran's scars burned. When Naraku grew too close to them, Sakura jumped to the side, and Syaoran attempted to flip over him. During his flip, he pushed off of Naraku's shoulders. The instant that his hands touched him, the burning sensation seemed to flow throughout his entire body.

When Syaoran landed on the ground, he immediately fell down to the ground again, and grimaced in pain.

"Syaoran? What's wrong!" Sakura asked, concerned. Syaoran stood up, and forced a smile.

"Nothing. I'm all right," Syaoran said, as he walked over to her. Naraku began to summon a lightning spell, which quickly struck down.

"SHIELD!" Sakura chanted, as she threw the 'SHIELD' card in the air. A bubble-like force field blocked the bolt from contact.

"Go!" Keroberos said, as all the guardians, including Yelan and Eriol, sent blasts all at once. Behind the shield card, Sakura and Syaoran saw an eruption of smoke come after a blinding light. The smoke was thick, and nearly impossible to see through. '_Did…they really do it?_' Syaoran thought.

The smoke was beginning to fade, and the silhouette of a figure could be seen. Soon, the smoke completely disappeared, and there stood Naraku, seemingly unharmed.

"Impossible…" Yue said, his eyes widened in shock. Yelan and Eriol's eyes widened. Their eyes then wandered to Sakura and Syaoran, who could not yet see through the smoke, and Naraku was heading straight for them…

"SAKURA-SAN! SYAORAN-KUN!" Eriol warned, as he headed in their direction. After recognizing his voice, they looked up just in time to see Eriol jump in front of the attack. Eriol was thrown hard into the ground, and lay on the ground holding his stomach.

"Eriol!" Sakura and Syaoran both cried. 'SHIELD' how now worn off, and there was no more protection to be provided. Syaoran glared fiercely at Naraku, and sent his fist towards his head. Although, Naraku's reflexes were too fast, and he caught his hand in the attempt. The contact caused Syaoran's entire body to burn intensely. The pain felt in his body was excruciating. He fell to his knees with his fist still in Naraku's grip.

Sakura jumped at Naraku's hand, and attempted to wrench it free off of Syaoran's. "Let go of him!" Sakura said, angered.

Naraku simply grabbed Sakura with his other hand, and threw her harshly away.

"You are beginning to irritate me, you little witch!" Naraku said. With his hand still holding Syaoran's fist, he lifted the boy into the air, at eye level with him. Syaoran's eyes were shut tight in pain as he attempted to wrench free.

"…Sakura…" Syaoran muttered as he opened his eyes slightly to look at his fallen girlfriend. His gaze then turned to Naraku. Naraku began to laugh evilly.

"You are cursed…" Naraku said, causing Syaoran's eyes to widen. "My blade has cursed your scars". "Every scar you receive from me…will double the pain".

After saying this, he began to dig his claw like nails into Syaoran's fist, getting small screams out of Syaoran.

Sakura raised herself up and pulled out her cards. "STOP IT! YOU'RE HURTING HIM!" Sakura screamed, with tears erupted from her face. Naraku only continued, until you could see crimson red blood fall down Syaoran's arm. With anger now in her head, she pulled out a Sakura card.

"FIREY!" She chanted, and suddenly an eruption of flames blasted full force into Naraku. Because of Sakura's anger, the card impacted successfully, and Syaoran was dropped to the ground. Naraku screamed in pain as the flames burned into his skin. The fire was so strong, that it even began to deteriorate his seemingly invincible cloak. Syaoran opened his eyes slightly to stare at Sakura in amazement.

"When I say 'stop it' you better damn well stop!" Sakura yelled enraged, shocking everyone's ears. Sakura looked down to Syaoran concerned while the flames occupied Naraku.

"Are you all right?" Sakura asked. At that moment, Syaoran smiled, and then nodded.

"I feel so special!" Syaoran said, with a laugh. Sakura smiled in relief. After, she then ran to Eriol. "Eriol-kun, are you all right?" Sakura asked, tending to her friend. Eriol sat up, still clutching his stomach slightly.

"Yes Sakura-san, I'm all right," Eriol said with a smile. He then looked down at his stomach with his azure blue eyes. "Naraku has quite a punch," Eriol said, laughing a bit.

Yelan could not see through the smoke, so she was clueless as to the condition of her son and his friends. In attempt to force the smoke to disperse, she did a wind spell with her fan, which cleared the roof successfully. She saw Sakura tending to Eriol, and Syaoran holding his hand, which blood drizzled down from.

Naraku was screaming from the surrounding flames, and after a minute blew them away with a wind spell of his own. Yelan's eyes widened in horror when she saw Naraku stand behind Sakura.

"SAKURA-SAN! BEHIND YOU!" Yelan screamed. Sakura turned around and held an expression of both anger and fear. Naraku's skin held burn marks from head to toe, and his cloak was burned off of his body. His black shirt with red ancient markings was burned enough to see his chest, which held a large scar. The scar was most likely the one Syaoran gave him from stabbing him when he was four.

"You have gotten on my last nerve, witch…you will pay dearly for that…with your LIFE!" Naraku threatened, anger truly portrayed in his eyes. Suddenly, he grabbed onto Sakura's neck tightly, and lifted her in the air. Sakura desperately struggled for air, and dropped her staff to attempt to release herself. Everyone started toward the evil to save their mistress/girlfriend/friend/future daughter-in-law, although were stopped by shocks of lightning brought down by Naraku.

Everyone screamed in pain, and Naraku carried the suffocated Sakura to the edge of the roof. Syaoran raised himself off of the ground with much difficulty, despite the extreme pain. He felt lightning shock through him unmercifully and his scars burned more than fire itself. Although, the one thing that remained untouched…was his heart.

He ran at Naraku at full speed, and despite the pain he knew the contact would cause him, he grabbed the arm holding Sakura. "I WON'T LET YOU HURT HER!" Syaoran said. The loss of concentration seized the lightning attacks on the others. This act however, caused Naraku to let her go, sending her tumbling to the ground.

Syaoran immediately let go of Naraku, and jumped off the edge after her. "SAKURA! SYAORAN!" yelled everybody in horror.

Lilover131: How was that chapter? I HAD to leave you with a cliffy this time! I know, I'm horrible. Although, I know you won't be disappointed with the next chapter! I just got this brilliant idea! Hopefully…you guys will think its brilliant too. Lol. See you next time!


	17. The inherited wings

Disclaimer: I don't own ccs or the characters! Although, I wish I did!

Lilover131: Hey everybody! Did you like the last chapter? I thought the fight was a little sloppy, but I didn't really have any better ideas. I realize that this chapter has come faster than usual. HEY! I GOT LOTS OF INSPIRATION ALL OF A SUDDEN!! Anyways, I hope you like this one!

**Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Seventeen: The inherited wings **

"Ms. Daidouji, you are so evil!!" Meilin said, with a laugh. Tomoyo giggled in her creepy 'I know' laugh. Tomoyo, Meilin, and Syaoran's sisters were currently sneaking up the stairs toward the hospital rooftop.

"She's not evil, she's BRILLIANT!!" Shieta said, with the same creepy sparkles in her eyes. Tomoyo held her camera carefully, while preparing to open the door slightly and catch a good shot of Sakura and Syaoran alone together.

She creaked the door open and stuck her camera through the opening. They watched through her mini screen to see what was being viewed, and their eyes widened in shock. On the tiny video screen was Naraku holding Sakura up by her neck over the edge of the building.

Painful lightning bolts were shocking the entire group, and Syaoran was running in Naraku's direction. The girls then saw Syaoran latch on Naraku's arm, which gave him a pained expression, and then saw Sakura being dropped. They watched in horror, as Syaoran jumped down after her. They both fell off the ledge.

"SAKURA!! SYAORAN!!" everyone yelled at the same time. The only thing on the screen now was a crack and white noise. The camera was carelessly dropped. The footage was no longer important.

With Sakura and Syaoran

Sakura's lungs were relieved to feel air within them again, but she was NOT happy to feel the wind on her face right now. The wind whipped through her hair and body as she fell towards her doom. The fall was as if it were in slow motion.

However, she gazed up and saw something falling towards her. The wind kept her eyes mostly closed and she could not see clearly what it was. As it fell closer to her, she recognized the shape of a body. It was not a normal human, because she could see that something had sprouted on its back. '_An angel?_' Sakura thought.

After the winged creature had suddenly appeared, it sped toward her at a speed rivaled by lightning and caught her in its warm arms. The wind was no longer beating on her and she opened her eyes to view her savior.

The person/angel who held her was Syaoran, whose eyes were glowing of a bright green. There was a relieved expression on his face. Sakura smiled as her reward for her guardian angel.

"Are you all right, Sakura?" Syaoran asked with concerned. Sakura nodded slowly.

"Thank you," she said as she hooked her arms around his neck. Syaoran smiled from this reaction, and he then gazed to the windows of the hospital.

His eyes widened when he saw a little girl, 4 or 5 years of age, staring at him from the window. She smiled and waved to him happily.

He waved back shyly, but then immediately began to fly up back to the roof…before anyone else saw him.

With Touya

Touya was leaning against the wall next to the door to Syaoran's hospital room. Eriol and Yue claimed that they needed to have an important talk, considering the weird occurrences lately. Touya volunteered to watch the doorway while they spoke.

He looked at his watch. This conversation was taking _quite _a long time. Since he gave his magic to Yue, he could no longer tell when any of them were trouble. That was quite a disadvantage…especially for one so protective of his little sister.

Finally, he opened the door a crack and heard no talking. When he opened the door fully, he found the room completely empty and the large hospital window open.

"Dammit…no one cares to tell me what's going on anymore…" Touya said before heading to the roof.

Back on the roof

The entire group panicked when they saw Sakura and Syaoran fall off the ledge. The others were a little surprised to see the girls come from the stairs suddenly…although, there were not THAT surprised. On instinct, they began to run towards the ledge in hope of saving them. Naraku smiled in satisfaction. He believed that his job was done.

They then saw his expression turn from a grin to surprise. They ran to the ledge and saw something floating up towards the roof. Everyone stared in awe and disbelief at what they saw.

Syaoran was holding Sakura in his arms protectively, his eyes were glowing bright green, and beautiful white feathered wings were on his back. Naraku looked absolutely disappointed, but glared with fierce intensity.

The sight of Syaoran's wings brought realization into Yelan's mind. She has seen this before. '_…It couldn't be…_' She thought.

The couple landed lightly on the roof, and their family and friends ran quickly to them.

"Are you all right?" Keroberos asked. Sakura nodded with a smile and then looked to Syaoran again. He was blushing.

"Thank goodness you're all right!" they heard a familiar voice cry out. Six people were heading towards them. It was Tomoyo, Meilin, and Syaoran's four sisters.

"What are you guys doing up here?" Sakura asked in surprise to see them.

"Well…we…uh…we just wanted to check on you!" Meilin lied. They would be SO mad if they found out they were sneaking video footage.

Then everyone turned to Syaoran. He was still blushing.

"Where did these wings come from?" Feimei asked. The others nodded too. They wanted answers! Syaoran only looked down in embarrassment.

"I…I don't know," Syaoran answered quietly.

At that moment, his sisters jumped at him, and all held him in a tight embrace.

"You look soooooooooooooooo KAWAII!! Our baby brother is an angel!!" his sisters cooed as he struggled to breath. '_No wonder he didn't want them to find out!_' Sakura thought with a little giggle.

Naraku began to approach them, but Syaoran stepped before him.

"I think its best that you leave now," Syaoran said.

"Why should I?" Naraku said while grinning evilly.

Syaoran gave a wicked grin.

"Because I'd rather not have to kill you in front of my girlfriend," Syaoran said in sort of a creepy way. Naraku gave a slight expression of fear, and the entire family widened their eyes in shock. Syaoran had never spoken like that before.

Naraku glared once more before jumping off of the roof and disappearing. The only thing left behind was his highly deteriorated cloak.

Right after Naraku's presence left their senses, Syaoran's wings disappeared and he fell back in exhaustion. Yue caught him before he hit the ground. His eyes, which went back to their original amber, were opened slightly and showing fatigue.

Yue slowly lowered him down to the ground.

"Syaoran, are you all right?" Yelan asked with concern. Syaoran nodded slowly.

"I'm all right. I just felt weak all of a sudden," he said quietly. Finally, he closed his eyes and fell into a peaceful slumber.

Yelan picked up her sleeping son and gazed at his injured hand. Naraku had injured him yet again. She gasped slightly when she saw the injury suddenly disappear. It was almost as if it was melting into his skin. Syaoran made a small moaning noise from the strange scar disappearance.

"Now it makes sense," Eriol suddenly said. Everyone turned to gaze at him.

"His wound healed so quickly…because it was cursed," Eriol said.

"Each wound that melts into his skin and forms a scar…will burn every time Naraku comes close," Eriol said.

"So…he's…cursed?" Fanren said with eyes that showed worry for her little brother.

"Yes…I'm afraid so," Eriol said with his head facing down.

"Is the curse…what's giving him these powers?" Sakura asked. Eriol shook his head.

"I think I may have figured out what it is," Yelan said. She grabbed everyone's attention. Eriol looked surprised.

"You know what this is?"

"The reason he didn't realize it was there…I think that these powers are an inheritance," Yelan said. Eriol eyebrows rose slightly.

"That is quite possible. Although, WHO did he inherit it from?" Eriol asked.

The four sisters suddenly gasped.

"You don't mean…" they started. Yelan nodded.

"Your father…"Yelan said.

"I should have recognized it right away from the day Naraku showed up," she said. Everyone was thoroughly confused.

"He once had these powers, though he never did use them that often. He said that they were 'dangerous' to others," Yelan said.

"He didn't use them on the day Naraku showed up…because he no longer had it. It must have been passed on to Syaoran, which would explain what happened that day with him," Yelan stated.

"Not only is _that _confusing, but it doesn't quite explain what Naraku is AFTER," Keroberos said, trying to put together Naraku with everything else that had happened thus far.

"What I don't understand is… how could something that looks so beautiful…be dangerous?" Sakura asked, confused. Everyone pondered on that thought.

Eriol expression was serious as he remembered Syaoran's words before. _"Because I'd rather not have to kill you in front of my girlfriend."_

'_The balance of light and dark…is slowly tilting'. _

Everyone's thoughts were soon interrupted as Touya suddenly appeared on the roof.

"What happened? Why did you all leave the room?" Touya asked with worry.

"Naraku pulled another attack on us," Yue said. Touya's eyes widened in surprise.

"That bastard came back so soon?" Touya said. He then went to Sakura.

"Are you all right? I swear if that bastard hurt you, I'll kill him next time he appears!" Touya said.

Sakura didn't really want to think about what might happen 'next time'.

"I'm fine, thanks to Syaoran," Sakura said while looking at her sleeping boyfriend. He looked so…peaceful when he was sleeping. Touya looked to Syaoran.

"Did he get hurt?" he asked. He actually sounded a little concerned.

"Only a little bit, but it's gone now," Sakura said.

"Damn kid…doesn't know when to protect himself," Touya said. Sakura smiled.

They began to leave back to the hospital room, and before leaving, Sakura grabbed her star key.

Back in Syaoran's Hospital room

Yelan placed Syaoran lightly on his bed and pulled his covers over him. '_If he truly has inherited this power…then why is it 'dangerous'?' _Yelan thought. She gazed out the window. It had begun to rain again. Inherited wings…they were beautiful…but full of mysteries.

Lilover131: How was that chapter? I hope it made sense…but if it didn't, please ask me questions on my e-mail. I'd be glad to answer any questions! Thank you to all that read and review my story! It's nice to know that there are people out there that enjoy my writings! It's such an awesome feeling! The next chapter will be really cute! I got this one up really fast with inspiration, and my music! Hopefully, the next one will go just as smoothly. Well…see you next time!


	18. Seeing Angels

Disclaimer: I don't own ccs or the characters! Although, I wish I did!

Lilover131: HAPPY VALENTINES DAY EVERYBODY!!! Thank you all for the wonderful reviews! It is nice to have wonderful supporters! I made a goal to make this story longer than 30,000 words, and I've finally made it! I'm so proud of myself! Now my goal is to finish this story! No matter what, I will finish it just for you guys!! Anyway, here is chapter eighteen!

Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Eighteen: Seeing Angels 

Syaoran awoke on his hospital bed and was trying to recall why he was here. He then remembered the rooftop fight. This was not exactly something nice to wake up remembering. The sun shone through the large window, and a light breeze could be seen blowing through the trees. He gazed at the clock above the hospital room door. It was 7:05. '_Dammit! I fell asleep AGAIN?'_ Syaoran thought as he hit himself mentally.

He looked to his hand, and was surprised to see that the wound Naraku had given him was gone. '_What in the world…is wrong with me?_' He thought to himself in confusion. After realizing that he wouldn't find out an answer anytime soon, he decided that he needed to walk around a bit. Lying in a bed all day was not helping.

In the hospital hallways

Syaoran was walking through the halls and was trying hard to wake himself up. Something about these new powers was just so tiring. Today was the day he would be released from here though.

He saw many things as he was walking. He saw people being wheeled into emergency rooms, and he saw people visiting family members. Although, worst of all…he saw death.

Several doctors and nurses swarmed into an open hospital room. Apparently, a man's heart had stopped beating. The doctors were desperately trying to restart his heart, but nothing seemed to be working. When their attempts were all failures, they looked down in shame.

"I'll go tell the family the bad news…we've done all that we can," one of the doctors said. Syaoran's eyes widened. He saw someone walk past him. It was a man. However, this was not just any man. It was the same man the doctors had just claimed dead.

Syaoran rubbed his eyes, and the man had disappeared as quickly as he had shown up. He blinked in confusion. When the doctors dispersed from the room, he saw the man lying dead on his hospital bed. This left him even more confused. _'What the…?' _

He followed the doctor that was to tell the family of the news. There stood a woman with black hair and dark brown eyes. She was standing with her child, which looked just like her. The child was only 3 at most.

"How is my husband? Will he be released soon?" the woman asked the doctor. Her expression was looking hopeful. The doctor looked down.

"Mrs. Chang…I'm sorry to tell you this…but…we've lost him," the doctor said.

The woman's expression turned from hopeful to absolute shock.

"…No…" the woman started. Finally, tears began falling like waterfalls.

"NOOOO!" She seemed to cry hysterically as she suddenly fell to her knees with her hands at her eyes.

The little girl looked very confused at her mother's reactions to the 'strange mans' words.

"Mommy? What's wrong? Where's Daddy?" the little girl asked her mother. The mother put her hands on her daughter's shoulders.

"Sweetie…your father isn't coming back…" the mother said. The daughter cocked her head in a clueless way.

"Where did he go?" she asked. Syaoran expression held pity for the family. The poor girl wouldn't understand until she was older.

"He's in a beautiful place right now…and…even though you can't see him…he's watching you right now," the mother said right before she pulled her daughter into a tight embrace. Just as she did this, Syaoran saw the man again. He stood next to the little girl, his daughter, and placed his hand on her head. She didn't seem to notice. '_There he is again!_' Syaoran thought.

His thoughts were interrupted when a small voice spoke.

"This happens all the time," said the voice. Syaoran looked behind him and saw a girl who looked about 4 or 5 years old. He recognized this girl as the one that had seen him through the window when he saved Sakura.

Now that he was closer to the girl, he could see that she had light brown hair, which was in low pigtails that lay to the front of her. Her eyes were a fascinating violet, and her skin looked awfully pale. In her arms was a bunny stuffed animal with ears that flopped down, much like her pigtails.

"…I…just happened to be watching…" Syaoran said, hoping that she didn't remember seeing him.

"I saw you outside my window yesterday!" the little girl said, which caused Syaoran to fall over in embarrassment. '_So much for not remembering…_'.

"I was hoping that you had forgotten that…" Syaoran said.

"How could I forget? Those wings were so beautiful!" the little girl said. Syaoran blushed.

"Don't worry! I won't tell anyone!" the little girl said. Syaoran stood up and looked to the girl.

"Really?" he asked. The little girl held her pinky out.

"I promise!" the little girl responded.

Syaoran smiled. This little girl sort of reminded him of Sakura. Hooking his pinky with hers, the promise was complete.

"So…you are…" Syaoran asked.

"My name is Zhi Mei," the girl said (In China, family names are said first. Zhi means 'Irises' and Mei means 'plum'). Syaoran smiled. The name suited her eyes.

"My name is Li Xiao Lang. Although, everyone calls me Syaoran," Syaoran said (Xiao Lang is Syaoran's Chinese name).

"It is nice to meet you Syaoran," Mei said.

"Same," Syaoran said as he shook hands with her.

On the roof

"It rained a lot yesterday! It's nice to see the sun popping out again!" Mei said. Syaoran smiled.

"Yeah…"

Syaoran saw that there were cherry blossom trees on the ground. He gazed at them in awe.

"Do you like the cherry blossoms?" Mei said after noticing his interest. Syaoran gasped slightly.

"Oh! It's just that they share the same name as my girlfriend," Syaoran responded.

"You mean the girl you were holding?" Mei asked. Syaoran blushed and then nodded.

"She was very pretty," Mei said.

"She has the same color eyes as you," she said.

Syaoran's eye's widened a bit.

"Are my eyes green right now?" he asked. Mei nodded.

"Aren't they always green?" she asked while cocking her head in confusion. Syaoran shook his head.

"My normal color is amber,"

"That must be how you can…" she suddenly whispered to herself.

"Did you say something?" Syaoran asked. Mei just shook her head.

"I was just talking to myself," she said with her cute little smile.

"So why are you in the hospital?" she asked.

"Oh! I just got a little hurt…but I'm getting out today," Syaoran said. Mei smiled.

"You're lucky," she said.

"Some people will be here for a long time…and some will never come out," she said. Syaoran could see the look of sadness in her violet eyes even though she was smiling. She held her bunny stuffed animal tightly.

"What are _you _here for?" Syaoran asked. He could sense her pain. He wanted to somehow comfort her. She looked down with a look of confusion.

"Well…my grandparents said I have Leukemia," she said.

"I think its some kind of cold…but it won't go away."

Syaoran's eyes widened. _'Leukemia…that means that's she's probably…going to die'_ Syaoran thought sadly.

"…Grandparents?" Syaoran asked. What about her parents?

"My grandparents said that my parents died in a car crash a year ago. They've been taking care of me since then," she said. Syaoran placed a hand on her shoulder, which actually made her gasp quietly.

"…I'm so sorry…" he said. He was trying to comfort her.

"I know how you feel. I lost my father when I was little too."

Mei looked to Syaoran and smiled.

"All we can do now…is move on and be happy," Syaoran said. Mei seemed to be thinking deeply.

"I'm sure that both of our parents have all moved on…"

"Moving on…that would be really nice," she said. Suddenly, Syaoran spotted his family and friends entering the hospital. '_They're here!_' Syaoran thought happily. Now he would get out of this place! He then thought sadly how Mei would possibly never leave this place. Although, when he turned to tell her goodbye, she was gone.

"Where did she go?" Syaoran said to himself. Well…it was time for him to leave anyway. Maybe he would come to visit her…just to make her feel better. It seemed too lonely to have so few family members left in a hard time like that.

At the front counter

"Hmm…Li…Syaoran…ah! There!" said the lady at the front counter. She was looking through the list of patients.

"You may sign out here, and then…you may go!" the lady said. Yelan signed the paper that would release Syaoran from the hospital.

"Let's go home," Yelan said, which brought a smile out of Syaoran. Sakura hugged him happily.

"Yay! Syaoran's all better!" Sakura said. After Sakura's embrace, Syaoran's sisters did the same.

"…Can't…breathe…" Syaoran gasped when his face began to turn blue. The girls immediately released him, because they didn't want him to be stuck in the hospital again.

They began walking outside of the hospital when Syaoran spotted something on the ground. It was Mei's bunny stuffed animal.

"Hold on. I know who this belongs to," Syaoran said as he stopped to pick it up.

"I'd better go return it to her before I leave," he said before heading back inside. He headed back to the front counter to ask where Mei's room was.

"Can you tell me where Zhi Mei's room is?" Syaoran asked. The lady behind the counter nodded and began to search through the list.

"…Zhi…Mei…" said the lady while skimming through. She stopped at a name, and then looked to him. Her expression held sadness.

"I'm sorry…Zhi Mei died two weeks ago…" the lady at the counter said. Syaoran's eyes widened in shock.

"…But I…" said Syaoran. He stopprd himself before he said any more. No use in making the lady think he's crazy.

"Thank you. I'm sorry to have bothered you," Syaoran said before leaving the hospital again.

"What's wrong? I thought you were going to return that," Sakura asked. Syaoran just forced a smile.

"I'll come back another time. She's busy right now," Syaoran said. Touya made a face as if he wasn't buying it. He wasn't going to bug him about it though.

Back at the Li mansion

As soon as Syaoran stepped foot into the house, Kohaku jumped at him quickly and began to lick his face ferociously. Syaoran laughed hysterically while being tickled unmercifully.

"Hey Kohaku! Cut it out! I missed you too!!" Syaoran said in between laughs. Finally, after about 10 minutes, Kohaku jumped off of him and wagged his tail at a fast pace.

"Welcome home, Master Syaoran," Wei said when he walked into the room. Syaoran bowed politely before speaking.

"Great to be back."

Later at Dinner

"Where's Syaoran?" asked Sakura at the table during dinner. He wasn't at the table, and she was curious as to his location.

"I believe he said he was going to the graveyard. He said he had to return something," Fanren said. Sakura scratched her head in confusion. What did he possibly have to return to a graveyard?

At the graveyard

Syaoran stood before a gravestone. It was labeled as:

Zhi Mei 

**2001-2006**

"Her body died of Leukemia, but her heart remains alive within ours. She will always be our little purple bunny." 

Next to her grave…were her parent's graves. Syaoran took the bunny stuffed animal in his hands, and placed it next to Mei's grave. Syaoran smiled when he remembered the last words she said to him before she disappeared.

"Congratulations. You've moved on…" Syaoran said to the grave. Although, he knew she was somewhere listening.

As Syaoran began to walk away, he saw two people visiting their graves as well. They were elderly and looked very kind. '_Those must be the grandparents_' Syaoran thought. The grandparents placed a bouquet of Irises next to each grave, to symbolize their family name. Although, they expressed looks of surprise when they saw the bunny stuffed animal by Mei's grave.

Ever since she had died, they hadn't been able to find it anywhere. Not too long after, they began to look around to see if they could find the person who returned it. Their gaze came across Syaoran, and he smiled in return. In understanding, the grandparents nodded in thanks.

Syaoran then left the graveyard knowing that his business here was done. Before leaving, he looked up to the sky where he believed every angel watched over their loved ones. He then believed that perhaps for a second, he saw Mei waving happily with her parents.

In the Li library (AGAIN)

Eriol walked through the once burning library, astonished at how nothing had changed. While searching through, he came across the book he had thrown in front of Naraku's blast. It was still charred and looked barely readable now. He picked up the book and skimmed through the burned pages.

The top parts of the pages were readable, although the bottom parts were not. Eriol then came across a page that raised his interest immediately. The heading of the page:

THE LI YING YANG INHERITANCE 

Lilover131: How was that chapter? I thought it was about time to just CHILL with the battles, and focus more on Syaoran's mysterious powers. We have now just figured out ANOTHER power Syaoran has. He has the ability to see ghosts when his eyes turn green. Those of you who are good guessers, will probably know how this will benefit Syaoran in the future. Here's a hint: someone who has had these powers before…well…I'll let you get that. Please send reviews! Hope to see you next time!


	19. Only Time will tell

Disclaimer: I don't own ccs or the characters! Although, I wish I did!

Lilover131: Hey everybody! I was surprised on how many reviews I got from the last chapter! You guys are GREAT!!! I got some really good reviews, and one who's still deciding! I hope that the new chapters will get anyone who hasn't yet fallen for it interested!

**Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Nineteen: Only Time will tell**

Eriol gazed at the book in interest. Why would Naraku want THIS book? Did it have something to do with this page? Suddenly, Eriol gasped in realization. '_I might know what Naraku is after_…'

In the Li garden

Sakura sat on a bench in the Li garden. She was waiting for Syaoran to return from the graveyard. Kohaku sat on her lap, taking a peaceful nap after eating. The sun was barely up now, and the sky had turned shades of pink. As the breeze lightly blew past them, she saw cherry blossom petals slowly float down.

Her heart floated with happiness when she saw Syaoran arrive in the garden.

"Syaoran! Welcome home," Sakura said. She did not move from her spot. If she moved, she would awaken Kohaku.

"Thanks. Did you wait for me?" Syaoran said as walked up to Sakura. She nodded.

"I did, but it wasn't that long," Sakura said. Syaoran smiled as he saw the sleeping Kohaku.

"Did Kohaku fall asleep?" Syaoran asked as he sat down on the bench with her. Sakura nodded.

"I'm so glad," Sakura said. Syaoran raised his eyebrows in confusion.

"Glad for what?" Syaoran asked.

"Ever since you went to the hospital, Kohaku hasn't slept or eaten," she with a saddened expression.

"But now that you're back, he's back to normal," Sakura said happily. Syaoran smiled and placed his hand lightly on Kohaku's head.

"Thank you for worrying about me Kohaku," he said.

"So…what was it that you needed to return?" Sakura asked. Syaoran looked to the emerald-eyed girl with a slightly serious face.

"Well…I met this little girl at the hospital…" Syaoran started.

"Oh! So you were returning the bunny stuffed animal to a little girl?" Sakura asked.

"…Yes… and when I went to return it to her at the hospital the other day…I was told…" Syaoran began again. His fists were clenched in frustration, and his bangs covered his eyes with a shadow.

"…I was told…that she died two weeks ago…"

Emerald eyes widened in shock.

"But…didn't you say that you _met _her?" Sakura asked in confusion. Syaoran nodded slowly.

"I saw her, I talked to her, and I even felt my hand on her shoulder…" Syaoran said while confusing Sakura even more.

"She even told me about her family… and how her parents died," he said with a look of sadness on his expression.

"So you saw a g-g-g-g-ghost?" Sakura asked. She was starting to become a little frightened. Syaoran mentally hit himself. How could he have forgotten about Sakura's fear of ghosts? He then embraced her quickly.

"I'm sorry. I forgot how frightened you are of ghosts," Syaoran said in attempt to make her feel better. Sakura returned the embrace.

"Was it…a nice ghost?" Sakura asked. She was quickly calming down.

"She…was not evil. She was just…trying to move on," Syaoran whispered in her ear.

"And she has," Syaoran said as he released his embrace. He looked at his hand that was once injured.

"It's so strange…I woke up this morning…and my wound was gone," Syaoran said. This caused Sakura to look down. '_He doesn't know that it disappeared because of the curse'_ she thought sadly. Syaoran then looked to the sleeping Kohaku.

"It's probably going to be a while before he wakes up. Are you stuck?" Syaoran asked. Sakura nodded. She couldn't move and wake up Kohaku. Especially not when he had finally gone to sleep!

"Lets just stay here and talk then," he said with a smile. Sakura looked to him with a look of slight surprise.

"There's no use in waking him up. Besides, we haven't really sat down and talked for a while now," Syaoran said. Sakura smiled warmly.

"That would be really nice," Sakura said as the wind blew cherry blossoms around them.

With Eriol in the library

Eriol was reading curiously through the page he had come across. The top was partially burned, but readable, while the bottom of the page was completely black. It told of The Li Ying Yang Inheritance, which he believed Syaoran might have obtained. It read:

The Li Ying Yang Inheritance is passed on to the Li clan heirs. It contains many incredible powers, which cause-

Eriol was thrown off by a burn mark that spread across the page though the rest of that sentence.

The more the owner seems to be in control, the less the person will realize that they are-

Eriol was once again thrown off by another burn mark on the sentence. It seemed strange how it seems to burn in the most important parts.

The inheritance emanates an aura of both light and dark, creating an unusual balance in the powers. Although, after several years of carrying the power, the two sources will fight for-

What was it with this page? It kept on smudging at the most important parts!

The power is inherited by the Li clan leaders' heir. As soon as the heir is born, the power leaves its previous owner and hides within the heart of the heir awaiting its use. This power is desirable to many sorcerers due to its extreme power. Although, there is a way in which to obtain it without inheriting it…

Eriol's eyes narrowed in curiosity. How could you obtain an inheritance without being the heir?

If the heir who obtains the power is killed, then the power will become part of the one who killed the heir…

'So THAT'S what Naraku's after!' Eriol thought to himself. 'He wants to kill Syaoran for his inheritance'.

'But still…why did his father claim that it was 'dangerous'?' Eriol thought while still gazing at the book.

With Sakura and Syaoran

The sun had long ago fallen, and the moon now hung in the sky in brilliance. Sakura and Syaoran had now been talking for several hours and were still not yet tired. Syaoran was laughing at a hilarious story Sakura told him.

"So that stuffed animal got stuck in the fridge?" Syaoran said. He was still laughing in between at the thought. Sakura nodded and giggled as well.

"Yes! Otousan walked into my room and said, 'did you by chance leave one of your stuffed animals in the fridge? It was so strange to see it there, and not to mention the fridge was completely empty of food! I could have sworn I went to the store yesterday'," Sakura said mimicking her fathers' voice. Syaoran looked to his watch.

"It has gotten late," Syaoran said looking at the sky. Sakura looked to her lap and saw that Kohaku was STILL asleep!

"I still can't move," Sakura said laughing a bit. Syaoran laughed.

"He's quite the sleeper," he said. It was a miracle that they hadn't woken him from all the talking! Although, who knew what would happen if Sakura tried to get up! The girl began to shiver slightly.

"Are you getting cold?" Syaoran asked becoming concerned.

"A little…but I'm all right," Sakura said after she shivered again. It may have been hot during the day, but the nights could get awfully chilly.

"I don't want you to get a cold. Maybe we could just move Kohaku a little bit…" Syaoran said.

"No! I can't wake him up! Especially after all this time that he hasn't slept! It isn't fair to wake him up again!" Sakura said. Syaoran smiled. 'She's so kind, that she'll puts everything else before herself'' Syaoran thought. He always admired that part of her.

"All right then. I'll get you a blanket," Syaoran said. Sakura smiled in appreciation. This caused his heart to flutter.

"Arigatou," Sakura said (Arigatou-Thank you). The boy blush. Although, before he could get up to find her a blanket, he realized that Kohaku had stretched his legs on his lap.

"It seems that I am also stuck," Syaoran said laughing. When Sakura sneezed however, he did not find this very funny.

"Will this help?" Syaoran asked as he embraced her tightly. Sakura was speechless for a moment as she felt his warmth spread throughout her body. 'He's so…warm' Sakura thought. She cuddled in closer. The girl looked up to Syaoran's concerned amber eyes and nodded.

"That feels much better," Sakura said as she then placed her head on his shoulder. Syaoran blushed bright red at this contact, but he then leaned his head close to hers. Only a few minutes later, they had both fallen asleep in each other's embrace, and Kohaku still lie asleep on their laps.

Suddenly, Kohaku's amber eyes opened. He looked up at Syaoran and Sakura, who had fallen asleep. Carefully, as to not let them notice, he jumped off of their laps and walked to the center of the Li garden. Kohaku stared at the moon, which had passed its full stage and now stood at its waning gibbous phase. There was now a slight sliver of darkness on the still bright moon as Kohaku began to howl. Kohaku's gaze left the moon when a figure suddenly appeared.

Syaoran suddenly opened his eyes slightly, which glew of a bright green once again. He seemed very tired, but was looking ahead. He thought he saw someone… someone very familiar. This person stood tall with a kind and watchful expression. His amber eyes shone in the moonlight, and his chocolate brown hair was blowing peacefully in the wind. This man smiled at Syaoran. He knew that he had been seen.

"Otousan…" Syaoran said before he fell back into a peaceful slumber. Li Kyo's spirit walked to his son and Sakura. He smiled at the sight.

"Syaoran…you seem to love this girl very much. Although, Naraku is angered with her as well. You must protect her as well as yourself. Besides, if you die…then so will the entire clan…maybe even the entire city," Kyo said quietly.

"So you know about this inheritance?" a voice said from behind. Kyo's eyes widened in surprise. Who could have possibly heard him? He could not be seen or heard by average people. He turned around slowly and saw Eriol standing near the cherry blossom tree.

"Yes…who might you be?" Kyo said while glancing at Eriol emotionlessly. Eriol adjusted his glasses.

"I am the reincarnation of Clow Reed, your ancestor," Eriol responded with a slight grin. Kyo did not seem very surprised.

"There is no need for me to introduce myself. You already know who I am," Kyo said to Eriol with a calm expression.

"You are quite sharp," Eriol said.

"Who ever said that the mind was to be left behind?" Kyo said getting a grin out of Eriol. He then thought he should get to the point.

"I have read the page about the inheritance in this book. Although, the most crucial parts seemed to be burned. I have figured out much information, except for how these powers are dangerous," Eriol said holding up the book with the strange aura. Kyo smirked.

"So you want to know why it is dangerous?" Kyo asked, knowing what Eriol was getting at.

"I could find out naturally, but I don't believe that would be 'fair' to my cute little descendant," he said with a smile.

"Is your curiosity just to help him, or is it just for your information?" Kyo asked.

"I'd have to say both," Eriol said. Kyo smiled. This child was very interesting.

"If I knew how to stop it, I would have told him about it when he was young," Kyo said with a slightly sad expression on his face.

"He really has no idea of what these powers will do to him," Kyo said.

"Do you mean that he will lose control of his powers?" Eriol asked. Kyo shook his head.

"Even worse…he will lose control of the powers that keep him balanced. Once that happens…there won't even be a 'Syaoran' in there anymore," Kyo said while looking at his son. Eriol's eyes widened in surprise. Suddenly, Kyo's intangible form was beginning to fade.

"I'm afraid I only have a limited time down here today," Kyo said as he continued to fade.

"Would you be kind enough to find them a blanket? It wouldn't feel right to move them," Kyo asked. Eriol nodded.

"I will."

Soon afterwards, Kyo had completely disappeared, and Eriol had left upstairs for a blanket. Only a few of his questions had been answered tonight. Although, he knew that the rest of them would be answered with time. Suddenly, Eriol dropped the book he held in his hands. Many visions had come into his mind. Eriol's eyes were widened from the sight he saw. It held destruction and one other thing that caused him to gaze at Syaoran in worry. 'Why must these premonitions tell me everything?' Eriol thought. He was now wishing he hadn't the ability to see the future.

He returned minutes later and placed the blanket over the embracing couple. They seemed so peaceful, but they were so unaware of what dangers awaited them.

"Sleep well, you two. There is still much more to come," Eriol said as he walked out of the Li garden. Kohaku napped once again next to Sakura and Syaoran. Eriol gazed at the moon before walking inside. 'He doesn't have much time left' Eriol thought. This vacation was going to be a rough one.

Lilover131: Hey everybody! Did you like that chapter? Sorry about the little wait. I've been a little short on ideas. By the way, I started another little one-shot for kicks called 'When the DaRk LoRd came to visit'. It was ACTUALLY played out by my brother and his friend. I made a ccs version of it to show to you guys. Very funny stuff!! Anyways, see you next time! PLEASE REVIEW!!


	20. Special Summer Memories

Disclaimer: I don't own ccs or the characters! Although, I wish I did!

Lilover131: Hey everybody! What's up? So anyways, I hope you liked the last chapter! I thought it was about time SOMEBODY talked to Syaoran's father. Eriol seemed like the perfect person, considering he's the only other person besides Syaoran right now who can see spirits. Yes, I know Touya could before. Although, he gave his powers to Yue, remember? In the mangas, Eriol saw Sakura's mother, so I'll go by that. Oh! For those of you have read chapter 107 of Tsubasa, SHADOW SYAORAN IS AWAKE!! Omg!! I've been waiting forever! Anyways, here's chapter twenty.

**Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Twenty: Special Summer Memories**

Sakura's emerald eyes opened to see the bright sun bearing down on her. She tried to recall last night and quickly remembered. When she looked to her lap, she saw that Kohaku was gone. She felt something leaning on her head. Sakura's eyes gazed beside her and there was a peacefully sleeping Syaoran. She blushed crimson when she realized how close he was. '_He looks so peaceful…it doesn't feel right to wake him up_' Sakura thought to herself.

Sakura sighed. Just her luck! She was stuck on a bench for nearly half a day because two little wolves fell asleep on her. Sakura giggled at the thought. It was then that she noticed the blanket covering both of them. '_Where did this come from?_' she thought. She quickly shrugged it off when she saw Syaoran's sisters, Eriol, Tomoyo, and Meilin.

"Good morning Sakura! Strange to see you sleeping outside!" said Shiefa with a smile. Sakura blushed.

"It kind of just happened…" Sakura said. She was a tad embarrassed. Eriol began to gaze at Syaoran evilly.

"My cute little descendant is still asleep, hm?" Eriol said with a mischievous look in his eyes. Everyone looked at Syaoran, while Tomoyo pulled out her camera.

"Are you going to get up?" Meilin asked. Sakura sweatdropped.

"Um…well…I don't want to wake him up and…" Sakura started.

"Don't worry about it! You'll only be moving a little bit! That won't wake him up!" Feimei stated.

"Well…" Sakura started. The group pulled off the blanket, and they now saw why she couldn't move. Syaoran still had her locked in his embrace.

"KAWAII!!" the sisters and Tomoyo squealed quietly so the would not wake him up. Tomoyo couldn't get good footage if they woke him up. He'd probably grab the camera and smash into pieces…or erase it secretly later…

"I think it's about time he woke up," Eriol said with the same mischievous look. Tomoyo smirked evilly in joy.

"Oh! I must get this on tape! Someone has to help me guard the camera!" Tomoyo said. Sakura eyes held confusion. This didn't sound very good…

Suddenly, Eriol began to poke at Syaoran's forehead. This caused his eyebrows to furrow. Eriol continued to poke him (you know how annoying this is when you're trying to sleep) repetitively until finally his eyes shot open. He began immediately sending death glares. He sat up and released his embrace on Sakura with a groggy look in his eyes.

"What the hell are you doing? I'm trying to sleep!" Syaoran yelled. He was tired and angry. He lay back down on the bench attempting to go back to sleep, but Eriol was fairly persistent. He continued to poke Syaoran annoyingly until he finally exploded and chased after him.

"I'LL KILL YOU!!" Syaoran yelled as he ran after Eriol who smiled in enjoyment.

"Catch me if you can, my cute little descendant!" Eriol said as he ran sneakily like a cat. Syaoran bared his teeth in annoyance.

"If I had my sword, you'd be dead by now asshole!" Syaoran yelled after Eriol. They ran for at least five minutes, while the entire group was laughing hysterically. Finally, Syaoran stopped to take a breath.

"…Ch-cheater…" Syaoran said in between breaths. Eriol just smiled.

"Why the hell did you have to wake me up? It's early!" Syaoran yelled. Eriol just laughed.

"Syaoran-kun, it's past NOON now," Eriol said. Syaoran widened his eyes and stared in disbelief.

"You've got to be kidding me! I'm still tired!" Syaoran said as he fell onto his back on the soft garden earth.

"Well we had to wake you up anyways," Meilin said. Syaoran stared at his cousin in curiosity.

"Why?" Syaoran asked. The entire group smiled, except for Sakura and Syaoran who stared cluelessly.

"Because…WE'RE GOING TO THE BEACH!!!" the entire group said in unison.

On the car trip to the Beach

Syaoran, Sakura, Eriol, Tomoyo, Meilin, Syaoran's sisters, Touya, Yukito, and Nakuru sat in a limousine that was heading towards the beach.

"Wow! This is amazing! I didn't know you're family owned a limousine!" Yukito said gazing around the limousine. Black leather seats, a counter for drinks, you name it! This hot ride was practically livable!

"Well, we needed a larger car to fit us all, and well…we're quite wealthy," said Feimei.

"I'm so excited! I've never been to a beach in Hong Kong before!" Sakura said with a bright smile. Syaoran was snoozing away in his seat, while Tomoyo was sewing a frilly bathing suit for Sakura to wear. Syaoran's sisters were discussing whether there would be hot guys or not at the beach.

"Me neither. It should be really fun!" Yukito said with a smile as well.

"Which beach are we going to?" Touya asked.

"We're going to Repulse Bay. It's the most popular beach in Hong Kong, and it's really close to a shopping area!" Meilin answered.

"Ah…I remember Repulse Bay back when I was Clow. It was a beautiful place. I believe that's where I met Madoushi," Eriol said. He had already known Sakura's previous encounter with her last time she came to Hong Kong. Suddenly, Syaoran opened his eyes from his little nap.

"And to think she really could have found you instead of trying to kill us!! Whatever you did must have really pissed her off, because if she weren't so desperate for revenge on you, she wouldn't have thrown a tidal wave on me!" Syaoran said. He was angered just from the thought of that last time. Touya and Yukito stared in confusion.

"This happened last time we were here? When did this happen?" Touya asked. Sakura sighed. Their memories had been erased after that whole incident.

"Um…it's kind of a long story," Sakura said. Touya held a look that said 'Tell me NOW'. Finally, Fanren pointed outside the window of the limousine.

"We're here!" Fanren said to everyone. They all looked out of the window and saw a beautiful beach along a shopping area. The water was a deep blue, and the sand was a rich white. Many people lay tanning in the sun, and several were swimming. The waves were at a descent height, and the wind blew quite peacefully. It was truly a perfect day to go to the beach.

"Wow!" Sakura said as she was staring in admiration at the magnificent beach. Syaoran smiled. He always loved it when she got excited like this. It was just some kind of ecstatic feeling he got when he saw her happy. Tomoyo, seeing this smile, quickly and quietly pulled out her camera.

Finally, the group stepped out of the limousine onto the beach and headed over to find a good spot. The guys were forced to carry all of the stuff, which didn't really bother them. They were all strong anyway. The girls immediately laid down after Touya put up the large beach umbrella. Syaoran had also fallen back and nearly fell asleep again on the beach blanket.

"The sun feels really nice…" everyone said in unison, except for Syaoran who just smiled. Soon afterwards, everyone got up and went to go change into their bathing suits. The girls all went to the nearest bathroom to change. The guys didn't have to worry because they were already in their bathing suits (you know guys…they can practically call them shorts. They could go anywhere wearing those things).

"I saw the bathing suit Tomoyo was making for Sakura. It'll probably look great on her," Eriol said to Syaoran, who still lay on the beach blanket.

"I guess. Tomoyo has such strange habits, doesn't she?" Syaoran said. He was not even looking at Eriol. Eriol sat down on the beach blanket and stared to the rolling clouds above the majestic ocean.

"Strange habits are what make us unique, Syaoran-kun. There's always some quality we have that others won't. With someone as unique as Tomoyo, her crazy little hobbies are what make her special," Eriol said. Syaoran couldn't help but notice the look in his deep blue eyes when he said that. There was a look of admiration. Or perhaps something more…Syaoran smiled. He recognized this kind of look. '_He'd better ask her out soon. They'd be perfect together, considering they're both completely insane!_' Syaoran thought before closing his eyes for a moment.

"Yo! brat!" Syaoran heard Touya call. He slowly opened his eyes and gazed to find Touya's voice. Syaoran sat up and looked over towards him.

"Do you know how to surf?" Touya asked. He was holding a surfboard in his hands. Syaoran paused for a moment.

"…Yeah. More or less," Syaoran said. Touya threw him the surfboard, which he caught a little loosely.

"Surf with me," Touya said as he grabbed another surfboard for himself. Syaoran looked at him quizzically. Was he challenging him secretly to a contest, or did he really want to surf with him? Without much more of a though, Touya ran towards the waves. Syaoran followed suit quickly after with a small smile etched on his face.

"Have fun," Eriol said to Syaoran before he ran towards the calm whispering sea.

With the girls

The girls found a dressing room at a close by clothing shop. They all asked if they could change there, and the owner had no problems with it. Sakura stared at herself in the mirror while blushing in embarrassment from the bathing suit Tomoyo had sewn for her. It was just so pretty! She looked like a mermaid in her own opinion.

The bathing suit consisted of a metallic green bikini top with a row of green gems as the straps, and there was a metallic bikini bottom with a skirt to go over it. The skirt had many sparkling green sequins, and was slightly see-through, for that whispy, seaweed look in the water. The outfit was rather eye catching, due to the shininess, but she had to admit…it complimented her eyes quite well.

"Sakura-chan, are you done changing yet?" Sakura heard Feimei's voice call.

"Yes! I'll be out in a moment!" Sakura replied. After taking one last look at herself in the mirror, she exited the dressing room. As soon as she came out, she saw all of the girls staring at her.

"What?" Sakura asked. She was wondering why they were all staring at her.

"Oh my goodness! Who wants to make a bet on whether Syaoran will fall over or not when he sees Sakura?" Fanren said as she was pinching Sakura's cheeks at how cute she looked.

"SO KAWAII!!" the sisters cried out as they suddenly jumped at Sakura and embraced her. This reminded her a little TOO much of last time…

"SAKURA-CHAN!!" someone screamed. Sakura recognized it as Tomoyo's voice. Sakura wrenched herself free of the sister's grasps quickly to assist her friend.

"Tomoyo-chan, what's wrong?" Sakura asked in concern. Was Tomoyo in danger?

"You just have to try these on!!" Tomoyo said as she pulled off an extremely frilly dress off of the rack. Sakura fell over. Sometimes things would just never change…

The girls heading back

After all of them were done changing and they had all finished looking around in the clothing store, they began to head back to the beach. Sakura blushed in embarrassment when she saw many guys gazing at her. Several winked.

Soon, they made it back to their site. Sakura stared in awe as she saw someone gliding through the water. Touya and Syaoran were surfing on a fairly large wave. The two almost seemed as if they were just floating on the wave as the wind blew through their hair, and their fingers treaded through the water.

Finally, when they finished their free ride on the waves, they began walking towards the shore.

"Sugoi Sugoi!!" Sakura cheered (Sugoi-amazing!). Syaoran blushed, while Touya laughed.

"Damn. You're pretty good!" Touya said as he patted his hand on his shoulder. It seemed almost unbelievable that they were actually getting along. At least there was one thing they had in common. They both cared about Sakura…and they could both surf.

"Well…I starting surfing as a way to practice my balance," Syaoran said. He was still a little embarrassed. Then, he looked to his girlfriend.

Syaoran just could not stop staring at Sakura. Her outfit made her stick out, and Syaoran felt that at that moment…she was the most beautiful person alive. He fell victim to her eyes quite easily and seemed to be stuck.

"Syaoran?" Sakura asked in concern. He was just standing still and staring right at her. He made no response. It was as if he were in a trance.

"You're so…" Syaoran started.

"Um…Syaoran?" Sakura started as she seemed to be looking behind him. He didn't look away for a second.

"…Beaut- WAH!!!" Syaoran said as he was suddenly thrashed unmercifully by a wave. He fell face first into the sand and the wave washed over him. It then slowly rolled back to the sea.

"Yes! I win the bet! He fell over!!" Fanren said enthusiastically as she jumped into the air. The sister's growled in annoyance as they paid their sister the money they had bet. Sakura kneeled down to see if he was all right.

"Are you okay Syaoran?" Sakura asked while concerned. Syaoran raised himself off the ground. His face was covered in sand and his hair dripped of salt water.

"Why do _I_ always get hit by the tidal waves?" Syaoran said as he sat up straight and tried to brush the sand off of his face. Sakura giggled. Sakura quickly went to grab him a towel. When she returned, he ran it over his face and successfully got the sand away from his eyes.

"Thank you," Syaoran said with an appreciative smile. Sakura smiled back and almost caused him to rise up to heaven in joy.

"Sakura…you look beautiful," Syaoran said. This caused Sakura to blush.

"Well…it's just the bathing suit," Sakura said shyly.

"The bathing suit doesn't make you look any different than you do everyday to me, Sakura," Syaoran said as he stood up. He slowly walked over to the site and fell back onto the blanket where he soon fell asleep. Sakura smiled happily. This time would forever remain a special summer memory.

Lilover131: Hey! Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up! I hope you liked it! Their time at the beach will continue a little more through the next chapter as something unexpected happens….MUWHAHAHAHAHAHAH!! Lol. Please Review! See you next time!


	21. Special Summer Miseries

Disclaimer: I don't own ccs or the characters! Although, I wish I did!

Lilover131: Hey everybody! I just want to tell you that you guys are AWESOME!! I have over 70 reviews now! I want to aim somewhere to over a hundred. Of course, we'll see! Some of you may have mentioned that you believe this would make a good series on the REAL ccs. Although, I know that can't happen people. Sorry. Clamp is FAR too busy with Tsubasa and XXXholic right now to really care. Besides, I don't know how to contact them, or translate the story into Japanese for them. ; Although, for you guys, just use your imagination! Anything can be on television, and pretend as if you are really watching this on TV! It'll make it a TON of a lot more enjoyable to really see it your mind. I do! That's why I started this whole story. One day, I thought 'I wonder what happened to Li's father? No one ever said what happened to him'. This got the ball rolling. All it takes is ONE idea, and supporters like you guys to make a story come alive!! Thanks a lot for your great support!! This story is officially dedicated to EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU WHO SENT A REVIEW!! You should all feel so special now!! Anyways, here's chapter twenty-one! If you want to get special recognition…REVIEW!! Lol.

**Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Twenty-One: Special Summer Miseries**

Syaoran looked to his surroundings. He sighed as he found himself once again standing in this mysterious forest. He didn't understand what it was about this forest that always appeared in these strange dreams. Suddenly, he felt his wings sprout from his back. It was such an unusual sensation. His sword suddenly appeared in his hand, and against his own will, he began to float off of the ground.

'_What in the world? Where am I going?_' Syaoran thought to himself. He flew high into the air, and the breeze whipped through his hair violently from the speed. Finally, he landed further into the forest. The area he landed in contained one lonesome cherry blossom tree. The petals fluttered in the wind and almost seemed to circle around him. He quickly grabbed a petal into his palm and gazed at it admirably. However, he noticed something odd down on the ground. He gasped in realization when he saw it. What lye on the ground…was Sakura's star key. Next to the key…was something that horrified Syaoran to no end. Next to Sakura's star key…were several drops of blood.

Syaoran eyes were widened as he stood absolutely still. '_Sakura…? Is she hurt?'_ Syaoran thought. He was now panicking. However, before he could walk any closer to the tree, he felt himself begin to sink into the ground. He gazed down towards his feet, and saw a strange black substance pulling him into it. Syaoran reached out to grab the key, but the substance pulled his arm. His wings rose up in protest, but the blackness quickly pulled them down. It wrapped around his entire body. It was not allowing him to move, and finally it had pulled Syaoran completely into darkness.

The next thing he saw was black. All he could see around him was black, and some more black. He seemed to be floating in complete emptiness. Even though it only seemed to be different scenery, Syaoran felt extremely depressed in here. In this place, he felt as if he were the lowest human on Earth. He couldn't describe how lonely he felt here. It was as if he had been banished here to remain lonely for eternity. Suddenly, a bright light began to poke through the darkness. It blinded his vision for a moment.

_"Syaoran…"_

He heard his name being called.

_"Syaoran…wake up,"_ said the voice again. Syaoran recognized this voice. It was…

"Sakura…" Syaoran said as a smile came back to his face. He headed to the light and finally snapped out of his dream.

Syaoran woke up to see Sakura's smiling face. He was never so happy to see her all right.

"Syaoran, you can't expect to have fun if you're sleeping, do you?" Sakura said. Syaoran smiled at her.

"I just needed to catch up on some sleep. I'm all right now," Syaoran said. Sakura smiled. Then Tomoyo walked up with her camera. She began to giggle slightly. Eriol did as well.

"What's so funny?" Syaoran asked. He then looked to himself and saw that his entire body besides his head had been buried beneath the sand. Syaoran glared in anger at all of them.

"You guys have a lot of nerve to bury me while I was sleeping," Syaoran said rather coldly. Everyone just giggled.

"We couldn't help ourselves!" said Shiefa all of a sudden.

"You were in on this too?" Syaoran said. He was directing a glare at her as well. Syaoran attempted to move so that he could beat the tar out of them, but it was no use. The group just giggled and began to run to the water.

"This isn't funny! Get back here and get me out of here!" Syaoran yelled while struggling. Just before he gave up, something walked up next to him. He was surprised to see Kohaku standing there. '_What's Kohaku doing here?_' Syaoran thought. He didn't recall ever bringing him with them…not that he really minded. He needed some help to get out this sand! As if on cue, Kohaku began to dig him out. Within a matter of minutes, Syaoran was free of his sandy prison.

"Thanks Kohaku," Syaoran said as he gave him a good scratch behind the ear as a reward. Syaoran ran quickly towards the water and then after his friends.

"You guys are in for it now!" Syaoran said as he grew close to them. They all giggled and began to swim away. Syaoran was much faster though, and he tackled the first person he saw. The person he had brought underneath with him was Sakura. Her eyes widened in surprise. The two smiled at each other as they were surrounded by the deep blue sea. Sakura's metallic green bathing suit sparkled from the sunlight, which seeped through the water in separate rays. Her partially see-through skirt wisped through the water like seaweed, and her jade eyes glowed of happiness. Syaoran lightly took hold of Sakura's hands, and they began to spin around in the water. They danced for a few seconds then swam back up to the surface for air.

The first thing Syaoran saw when he busted through the surface was Sakura's smiling face. He immediately smiled back, and with her hands still in his, he led her back to shore. As soon as they left the water, Kohaku jumped at Syaoran and began to lick his face. Sakura displayed an even brighter smile when she heard his laughter.

"Kohaku! Cut it out! That tickles!" Syaoran yelled between laughs. When Kohaku finally stopped, Meilin called to them.

"Hey guys! Come in for lunch!" Meilin said. The couple headed to their beach site so that that could satisfy their demanding stomachs.

"What did we bring?" Syaoran asked. Meilin opened up the large cloth covering the bento boxes. Inside was a mini buffet of Chinese cuisines. All looked very delicious, and most of their mouths watered.

"Wow! That looks really good!" Sakura said as she stared at the food in excitement. This day could not be any more perfect!

"You really went all out, didn't you Meilin?" Syaoran said. His eyes were holding excitement as well.

"It was a special occasion with everyone together again! Besides, I had some help from Daidouji-san," said Meilin. She gave a thankful look to Tomoyo for her help. Everyone just sat for a moment and was wondering when was the right time to dig in.

"What are you waiting for? Go ahead and eat!" Meilin said. Everyone immediately took their share and began to eat. Each bite seemed to melt into their mouth.

"Meilin-chan, you're a really good cook!" Sakura said with a bright smile. Meilin smiled in thanks.

"I know. I thought I should make the lunches, because no one can top my skills," Meilin said with her crazy little laughter. Everyone sighed. This reminded them too much of the time she first came to Japan. Sakura looked around as she realized who was missing.

"Where are Kero and Suppi?" Sakura asked. Kero would be mad if he found out they were eating without him!

"I left them in the limo with a TON of food. Don't worry. They are _quite _comfortable," Meilin said. Sakura imagined Kero and Suppi stuffing their stomachs full of food. This thought caused her to giggle lightly.

"Whatever amount you gave the stuffed animals probably won't last long," Syaoran said while taking a bite of his meal. He didn't forget to give some to Kohaku too.

"Did you leave them with any sugar?" Eriol asked, remembering Suppi's ability to get drunk from sugar.

"Yeah. I left them with a little bit. Why?" Meilin asked. She was not in Japan at the time, thus she was unaware to Suppi's strange reactions. Sakura, Syaoran, Eriol, and Tomoyo all giggled.

"It's nothing," Eriol said. '_I hope that black stuffed animal drives that fat toy crazy!_' Syaoran thought to himself.

"So what made you want to go to the beach so suddenly?" Syaoran asked. He was eyeing his sisters and Meilin.

"Well…I promised Sakura that we would do something really fun once you got released from the hospital," Fanren said. Sakura smiled to Fanren with a thankful look for keeping her promise.

"Yes! This really gets your mind all that has happened, doesn't it?" Tomoyo said.

"Well, I couldn't bear to see Sakura looking so upset! I knew the beach would be a perfect way to relax!" Fanren said. Syaoran's eyes lowered slightly.

"You…were upset about me?" Syaoran asked. His eyes were holding guilt. Sakura looked to Syaoran.

"We all were. Although, why wouldn't we? You are so important to us," Sakura said as the others nodded in agreement. Syaoran smiled lightly. He was still feeling a little guilty. Syaoran then remembered Kohaku's extreme reaction as well when he was in the hospital. '_I hate it when my problems cause burdens to others_' Syaoran thought to himself. Kohaku looked up to him with concerned amber eyes. Syaoran smiled and placed a hand on Kohaku's head. '_…But…who's to say that I wouldn't do the same?_' Syaoran thought. Surely he would also be very upset if any of his friends or family were in the hospital.

"Thanks guys…for caring so much," Syaoran said while looking down shyly. Everyone continued to eat their lunch and failed to notice that they were being watched… (MUWHAHAHAHAHAHAH!! Lol. He's back!). Naraku glared at the happy group in contempt with his blood red eyes. He watched the group from a distance on top of one of the buildings. He hated human emotions more than anything. This so called thing called 'Love' made things extra difficult to kill someone. '_When they are so insistent on protecting the people they 'love', it gives me more work to do!_' Naraku thought to himself. He found it irritating to have to destroy more people than originally planned.

He gazed to the group once again and saw Syaoran give a smile towards Sakura. Naraku smirked. '_Although sometimes…Love is what can get you killed_' Naraku thought as he brought out a slight bit of laughter. They would all be dead soon.

The group searched through the large bag that held the lunches.

"Nooo! Where did I put the drinks?" Meilin shouted. She was panicking. They checked every pocket and corner of the bag and still did not find the drinks.

"I can't believe I forgot to pack the drinks! I even left them on the counter so I wouldn't forget them!" Meilin said, feeling like a failure.

"Don't worry, Meilin. I'm sure we can just buy some drinks from one of the stores nearby," Tomoyo said in attempt to make her feel better.

"I guess so," Meilin said. She was still pouting a bit. Sakura grabbed her change purse and stood up.

"I'll go buy the drinks!" Sakura said determined to help. Meilin just stared.

"I can't make you do that…" Meilin started.

"Please let me get the drinks! You went through all of that trouble to make us those lunches!" Sakura said. Meilin first looked guilty and then smiled.

"Ms. Kinomoto…you still haven't changed," Meilin said. With that, Sakura walked off towards a nearby store. Syaoran watched as Sakura walked towards the buildings with the wind blowing her hair and skirt to the side. It was late in the afternoon, and the sun was near setting. Syaoran stared to the sky, which was slowly becoming clouded over.

With Sakura

Sakura walked through the ally's of the buildings while searching for a place to buy drinks from. The sky was becoming darker as the sun was starting to set. They had started lunch late because no one wanted to eat without Syaoran while he was asleep. She saw many stores and many people. All were different in several ways. Suddenly, she thought she heard a strange sound…something like…hissing. Sakura followed the source of the sound and found herself in an ally between two buildings. The sound had then disappeared. '_Strange…I could've sworn that…_' Sakura thought to herself as she turned around. She gasped at what she saw.

Behind her was a wall…covering the way she had just come in.

"What? Where did this wall come from?" Sakura said to herself, as she ran to the wall and began to bang on it. How was she going to get out? Sakura pulled out her star key and was hoping to find some card that could help her. That was until…she felt a cold hand plant itself on her shoulder. Sakura felt her blood run cold as she turned to gaze at the person behind her. Her emerald eyes had become reacquainted with blood red, and the last thing she saw was darkness…

Sakura's body hit the ground hard and she drifted to unconsciousness. A tall dark figure stood over her with red glaring eyes.

"Now…to the next plan," said the figure (Naraku) as he let out an evil laugh. This would be fun.

With the Others

The group was waiting for Sakura's return as the sun began to set in the horizon. It had been about 20 minutes, and she had still not come back.

"I wonder what's taking her so long?" Meilin said. She was beginning to get worried. Everyone shared the same thought. Kohaku was playing at the shore, and he was running away from the wave every time it came in and chased it when it went back. Syaoran gazed towards the buildings. He was beginning to worry. Suddenly, Kohaku in the water raised his head as well as Syaoran and Eriol. Yukito also raised his head. Each felt Sakura's aura suddenly become distant…or covered. '_Sakura! Something's happening to Sakura!_' Syaoran thought before he panicked.

"What's wrong?" Tomoyo asked the three. She noticed their strange looks. All were silent and everyone was surprised when Syaoran suddenly stood up and raced off towards the buildings. Kohaku ran from the shore after Syaoran and was soon followed by Eriol and Yukito as well.

"What's this all of a sudden?" Touya asked Yukito before running off.

"Yue says that Sakura is in danger," Yukito said. Touya's eyes widened in horror. They all gasped and raised themselves off of the ground to follow after the others. They ran through the streets before earning strange looks from passerby's, and finally they reached a dark lone ally. Everyone gazed to Syaoran, who was looking to the ground.

Syaoran fell to his knees in shock at what he saw. Everyone looked to the ground to see what had shocked him, and they nearly fell in shock as well. On the ground lye Sakura's star key…and next to it…were small drops of blood.

Lilover131: How was that chapter? Hahahaha. Another cliffy! I really do hope you liked it. I realize that you guys seem to like it when I torture them all. Considering the last chapter was happy, and you guys didn't seem to like it as much as the others. Lol. YOU EVIL SICK PEOPLE!! Lol. I'm just kidding. You guys are the best! So anyways, see you next time!


	22. Tracking a lost blossom

Disclaimer: I don't own ccs or the characters! Although, I wish I did!

Lilover131: Hey everybody! Did you like the last chapter? I hope so. This one will be exciting! I'm sorry if any of you thought the long authors note took away attention from the story. Lol. Couldn't help myself. You guys rock! So anyways, here is chapter twenty-two!

**Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Twenty-two: Tracking a lost blossom **

Syaoran stared terrified at Sakura's star key in his hand. It was still warm. It was possibly in her hands just minutes before they came. He held the key tightly and he balled his hand into a fist. He held it to his heart as his chocolate brown bangs shadowed his face.

"W-what happened? Where's Sakura?" Touya suddenly asked. Everyone stared in worry at the blood droplets on the cold cement ground.

"Is…she…hurt?" Tomoyo asked. She was worried sick about her dear friend. The sisters paled at the blood and then looked to their younger brother. He looked absolutely torn up inside as he just stood there holding Sakura's key. Syaoran turned around to look to his family and friends. Suddenly, Touya grabbed Syaoran harshly by his shoulders and he screamed at him. He was enraged.

"WHERE'S SAKURA!!" Touya screamed. It was obvious Touya was very stressed and worried about his little sister. Syaoran looked up to the older man with an extremely pained expression on his face. Touya calmed his glares for a moment at the look. Both were interrupted in the moment when they suddenly heard a hissing noise. Syaoran instantly released his sword and slashed at the thing that lye behind him. What fell to the ground dead…was a black snake with red stripes. Syaoran glared fiercely at the snake.

"So…I was right…HE was here," Syaoran said with a tone of pure hatred. Touya's eyes widened.

"You mean that Naraku has kidnapped her?" Touya said. He was hoping that it was not true. Syaoran did not answer. Touya looked to Eriol…the boy slowly nodded. Touya glared at Syaoran menacingly.

"THIS IS YOUR FAULT!!" Touya yelled at Syaoran again. Everyone stared in shock.

"…Touya…hold on…he…" Yukito started.

"IF SAKURA HADN'T COME TO SEE YOU, THEN NONE OF THIS WOULD'VE HAPPENED!!" Touya screamed. Syaoran looked down in shame.

"Kinomoto-kun! That's not true!" Feimei said. She was trying to stop him from making any false accusations. The sisters were trying to stop the yelling and prove their little brother was innocent. Suddenly, Syaoran spoke for himself.

"He's right," Syaoran said. This silenced everyone's voices.

"I failed to protect her when she needed me…but…" Syaoran started as he began to walk away.

"…That doesn't mean that I can't make things right," Syaoran said as he walked away with the wind blowing his chocolate brown hair to the side. They all then looked to the sky, which had been shadowed with darkness. The sky was revealing the night.

With Sakura

Sakura's emerald eyes opened to a dark figure above her. He smiled evilly and his blood red eyes glowed.

"Hello witch. Have you finally woken up?" said a familiar voice. Sakura glared at the sound of the voice. It was Naraku. Sakura immediately raised herself off of the ground, but she was harshly pushed down again.

"I think that's best if you stay down," said Naraku. Sakura felt something drip from her forehead. When she touched it with her hands, she felt wetness. She looked to her fingers and found blood. '_I must have hit my head when I fell on the concrete_' Sakura thought. When she reached for her key, she found that it wasn't there. '_No! I must have dropped my key!_' Sakura thought with panic. What was she going to do now?

"Where have you taken me?" Sakura asked Naraku in a very angry tone. Naraku simply grinned.

"That is none of your concern," Naraku said.

"Whatever your plan is…it's not going to work," Sakura stated. Naraku looked at her with a smile.

"Be quiet," Naraku said. Sakura shook her head and continued to speak.

"Syaoran won't let you do this! He will find a way through anything!" Sakura said. This was irritating Naraku.

"This thing you humans call 'love' is very annoying. It won't be enough to save you all from me," Naraku said. Sakura glared.

"Love is the reason we are here! Without it…you wouldn't be here either! You're human too!" Sakura said. Naraku looked annoyed.

"I WAS human. Until I realized how much stronger I could be," Naraku said. Sakura didn't quite understand this. However, she did know what to say next.

"What are you going to do with power? If you give up everything for it…then what's the reason in having it?" Sakura asked. He gazed at her with an irritated look.

"Everything else means nothing to me," Naraku said. Sakura glared.

"Those who crave power are the weakest of all! You're just a weak person who's looking to be better than everyone else!" Sakura insulted. Naraku glared fiercely and, with one quick motion, slapped her hard across the face. His nails dug deep scratches across her face from the impact. Sakura stared in shock as she held her face.

"Now shut up and be good little bait," Naraku said. Sakura widened her eyes. '_Bait? Oh no! He must be using me to get to the others!_' Sakura realized. She gazed around where she was and realized it was far too dark for her to see. Although, one thing that stook out was a lonesome cherry blossom tree. The petals almost seemed to glow a light pink. '_I have to find a way to stop his plan!_' Sakura thought. She was thinking hard. She _had _to.Without her key…she was helpless.

With the others

"How are you going to find her?" Tomoyo asked Syaoran. They were all heading towards the limo and following behind Syaoran.

"I have an idea," Syaoran said. Touya looked angry.

"How do you expect to find her when you KILLED our only lead!" Touya said. He was referring to the snake Syaoran had killed earlier.

"It will certainly be difficult to track her. Naraku has shadowed her aura from us," Eriol said. Syaoran looked back to them.

"I assume you're familiar with the Chinese tracking spell?" Syaoran said. Eriol widened his eyes in realization.

"Of course!" Eriol said in realization. Syaoran smiled.

"What is that? How will that help us find her?" Yukito asked. Syaoran continued to walk. He began talking to them again.

"The Chinese tracking spell allows me to find her location with something left behind," Syaoran said. Everyone then realized.

"Sakura's star key!" Everyone said in unison.

"But…it won't find her completely. With her aura shadowed like it is…it will only take us a little bit closer," Eriol said. Syaoran looked back to them again.

"That's where I have another plan," the boy said with a small smirk.

"Where are we headed?" Touya asked. He was wondering why Syaoran hadn't performed this 'Chinese tracking spell' yet.

"The limo. I need the stuffed animals to help me with something," Syaoran said. Everyone looked to each other in confusion.

With Kero and Suppi

"THIS FOOD IS GREAT!!" Kero said as he stuffed a rice ball down his stomach. Suppi was in 'drunken mode' with the cream puffs. Suddenly, they both turned their round heads towards the door when it opened quickly. There stood an irritated looking Syaoran with everyone else behind him.

"Hey kid! Did you come to steal our food? WE'RE NOT SHARING!!" Kero said while sticking out his tounge. Syaoran grabbed Kero by his head and glared at him intensely.

"I need your help," Syaoran said. Kero looked taken back and Suppi jumped up in excitement.

"Yay! Helping! Helping! Can I have some more cream puffs if I help?" Suppi said as his eyes sparkled. He suddenly sat on Syaoran's head. Everyone sighed from Suppi's drunkenness. Even Kero looked at Suppi strangely.

"What kind of help?" Kero said. The group's seriousness made him curious.

"Sakura's been kidnapped," Syaoran said. Kero's beady eyes widened.

"WHAT?" Kero said shocked. Even Suppi stopped dancing for a moment. Kero tried to track Sakura's aura and saw that it had been shadowed. Kero looked down in shame.

"Some guardian I am. How could I have not noticed?" Kero said.

"That's unfortunately the effect of my great cooking. You don't realize anything else," Meilin said.

"Well…it was pretty good…for being made by a brat and all…" Kero said. Meilin glared.

"What did you say!" Meilin yelled. She was angered. They began to yell at each other back and forth until Touya silenced them.

"Cut it out! Sakura's more important than food right now!" Touya said. They were immediately silenced and Kero looked to Syaoran with a serious expression.

"What can I do?" Kero asked.

Little Fast forward

"So your idea of us helping is to let you ride on our backs?" Kero asked. This idea had him enraged. Suppi and Kero were transformed and flying with everyone on their backs above the tall buildings of Hong Kong. Yukito had transformed into Yue and Nakuru into Ruby Moon.

"We can find her easier from above. Besides, none of us can fly," Syaoran said. Kero looked annoyed.

"YOU can!" Kero said while reminding Syaoran about his wings. The amber-eyed boy sighed.

"And do you really think I know HOW?" Syaoran said. His wings came out randomly and didn't seem very controllable. Although, he did realize that he controlled them better when he used them to save Sakura. Both from the tree incident…and the hospital rooftop fight. However, when he wasn't saving anyone, he flew up at a tree and bumped his head.

"Excuses, Excuses," Kero said in a taunting tone. Syaoran kicked Kero's sides hard, which almost threw him off balance.

"Just shut up and fly!" Syaoran said. Kero was searching for the tallest building for Syaoran to perform the tracking spell. It would be easier to track her from a place where everything can be seen. Syaoran was wearing his green ceremonial robes and the little bells attached to it rang lightly from the wind. Tomoyo was videotaping Syaoran. This was because she hadn't gotten much footage of him in his robes for a while now.

Finally, they found just the right building. They flew over the 'International Finance Centre', which was currently the tallest building in Hong Kong. They landed on the roof and looked down at the now ant sized people. The wind was gusting from the top, and the city lights illuminated the entire city like stars.

"It's really high up here!" Tomoyo simply stated as she looked down. Syaoran's sisters were gazing down too. Syaoran went straight to business and placed Sakura's star key on the ground. Holding the Li clan sword in front of his face, he closed his eyes and muttered an incantation. The Li clan symbol appeared beneath his feet, and the wind seemed to circulate around him. Everyone stared in amazement when the key suddenly began to float into the air. A glowing white light surrounded the star key, and it shot out towards somewhere far off in the city. Syaoran opened his amber eyes towards the beam of light.

"She's somewhere over there," Syaoran said. Immediately, everyone went back into flight towards the area the light had pointed to. '_Sakura, I'm coming for you!_' Syaoran thought to himself with his eyes determined towards the spot. Syaoran looked down towards the city and watched the people roam. He had forgotten how beautiful Hong Kong looked during the night. He was always too busy gazing at the moon. He turned his gaze to the floating white pearl in the sky. It was a little thinner than it was yesterday. Soon, it would be a half moon. He began to drift back to the dream, but was shunned from his thoughts as he felt a sudden pain on his side, arm, and hand. Everyone looked in concern when he suddenly grabbed hold of his arm.

"What's wrong, Syaoran?" Fanren asked. She was sitting behind him. Syaoran looked back to his sisters and friends.

"It's fine. We're just getting close to him," Syaoran said. Everyone looked down in sadness. It was because of the curse that he felt this pain when close to Naraku. They landed down on the ground to the point where the light ended. Syaoran immediately jumped off of Kero as the rest of the group jumped off of their guardian rides. Each guardian had carried two people. When Syaoran saw where the light ended, he lightly gasped in shock. What lye in front of him…was a forest. Although, this was not just ANY forest. It was the forest he had seen in his dreams. As a matter of fact…the star key on the ground with blood droplets had been in his dream too!

"Wow! What a pretty forest! So Sakura is here?" Shieta said. She was gazing at the forest in wonder. This forest was a luscious green, and there were flowers of brilliant colors at the entrance. There didn't seem to be a trail of any kind, so whenever they entered…they were on their own. Although the forest was beautiful from the outside, it looked dark and mysterious on the inside. Then, almost unconsciously, Syaoran began to walk into the forest with no hesitations or doubts.

"So how do we find her now?" Meilin asked. Syaoran took out Sakura's star key, which he had in his robes. Syaoran looked to Kohaku.

"Kohaku…come here," Syaoran said. Kohaku immediately obeyed and walked to his owner. He held out the key to Kohaku, and with one sniff he began to run further into the forest. Syaoran immediately followed.

"Sakura's aura may be shadowed, but her sweet scent hasn't!" Tomoyo stated with her camera following the wolf pair. Even though she was worried about Sakura, she was going to videotape her rescue! Suddenly, Tomoyo felt her hand being held. Eriol was lightly taking hold of her hand and tugging her behind him.

"Please follow closely behind me, Daidouji-san," Eriol said. Tomoyo willingly followed behind the others. They all ran through the forest at a great speed and were being careful to avoid trees along the way. '_Sakura…I'll find you no matter what! Even if I die trying…_' Syaoran thought to himself.

Lilover131: How was that chapter? I hope you liked it! You may recognize the Chinese tracking spell mentioned from the mangas. He also would have used it in the anime when Tomoyo got lost, if she had left something behind. So anyways, the next chapter continues with the search and a little dilemma that Syaoran and friends have to deal with! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!! Lol. Please review!


	23. The light of your eyes

Disclaimer: I don't own ccs or the characters! Although, I wish I did!

Lilover131: Hey everybody! I hope you all liked the last chapter! I know…I'm SO evil for leaving you with the cliffy's all the time! Have you guys seen chapter 109 for tsubasa? TOTALLY AWESOME! Kamui is really cute! Poor Syaoran…that arrow must have hurt a lot…lol. So anyways, here's chapter twenty-three!

**Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Twenty-three: The glow of your eyes **

Sakura looked around her surroundings. Nothing seemed to give her any clues as to Naraku's plans. She was beginning to run out of time, when she felt her friends aura's growing closer. '_They're coming! I have to do something quick!_' Sakura thought. Suddenly, Naraku approached her once again. Sakura glared at him fiercely and recoiled in distrust. She couldn't run away for he had long bound her arms and legs together.

"Stay away from me!" Sakura demanded. Naraku grinned evilly.

"The time has come. Now the plan comes into action," Naraku said to Sakura with a sly grin. Sakura's eyes shone in concern from the strange look. Before her mind could think any more, she was knocked unconscious with a quick hit on the back of her head.

With the others

Kohaku ran through the forest at a fast pace. Syaoran, who was followed by Eriol, Tomoyo, Meilin, his sisters, and all of the guardians, closely followed him. Kohaku's strong sense of smell was very handy right now. Thanks to the Chinese tracking spell, and Kohaku's nose, they would find Sakura very soon.

Syaoran was constantly watching Kohaku, so that he would not lose track of him. He knew that they were heading the right way when his scars burned more intensely. Syaoran winced a couple of times from the stinging, but no matter how high the pain, he continued to run. Any second he delayed could be the second where Sakura would be lost forever. He wasn't going to take any chances. Suddenly, something seemed to jump from the trees.

"Watch out!" Eriol yelled out to Syaoran. Within a split second, Syaoran whipped out his sword and sliced the opposing enemies that jumped from the trees. Several snakes dropped dead on the ground. Syaoran quickly sheathed his sword, and continued to run. Eriol stepped forward to follow, but many snakes slithered in his path.

"Eriol! We have a problem!" he heard Ruby Moon say. He turned around and saw that they had all been surrounded by snakes. All of them slithered closer and hissed threateningly. Suddenly, several jumped at them and Eriol and the guardians killed them all. Although, as quickly as they had surrounded them, there was yet another crowd. They seemed to be endless and didn't plan on showing any mercy.

"Guys!" Syaoran said, turning around to see his surrounded friends and family. All of the non-magic users were in the middle for protection, except for Touya and Meilin of course, who punched and kicked flying snakes. Syaoran was about to pull out his sword and assist them, but was stopped by Meilin.

"GO! We'll catch up with you! Go save Sakura!" Meilin yelled.

"But…" Syaoran started. He didn't want to leave them behind.

"GO SAVE MY SISTER, DAMMIT!" said Touya, who was also trying to fight some snakes. Then, Syaoran looked to Kohaku, who was pulling on his clothing. Kohaku looked up with pleading amber eyes; amber eyes that were full of such mystery.

"All right!" Syaoran said, with determination glowing in his eyes. With that, he began to run further into the dark forest. Kohaku led quickly and they slowed down as they neared a clearing. The glow of a cherry blossom tree could be seen, and that's when Syaoran realized. '_I saw that tree in my dream too!_'.

Syaoran stepped inside the clearing, and became reacquainted with an all too familiar presence. Naraku was close.

"So you came," Naraku said, as he stepped out from behind the cherry blossom tree. Syaoran glared intensely at the evil before him.

"Where's Sakura?" Syaoran said, in a demanding tone. Naraku smiled.

"You seem to get straight to the point," Naraku said. He had expected that. In lightning speed, Syaoran dashed forward with his sword and slashed at Naraku. However, he easily dodged.

"WHERE IS SHE?" Syaoran said, screaming now.

"You are quite testy today," Naraku said. Syaoran was becoming irritated. He continued to slash at him until he would give him an answer, and Naraku never told anything. After several unsuccessful slashes, Naraku flew to Syaoran's side and elbowed him on his back, causing him to fall down to the ground.

"If you gave me a second to talk and didn't attack me blindly, I might actually tell you where she is," Naraku said, causing Syaoran to glare up at him in anger. Syaoran raised himself off of the ground, and distanced himself a few feet. Then, he stood still.

"Come," said Naraku with a luring hand gesture. With that, Sakura walked out from behind the cherry blossom tree.

"Sakura!" Syaoran cried out. However, when she walked out further, she was followed by two more Sakura's. '_What?_' Syaoran thought, confused.

With the others

When they had finally disposed of the snakes, they quickly ran in the direction where they last saw Syaoran and Kohaku. They ran until they came across a clearing, and who stood in the center were Syaoran, Kohaku, Naraku, and three Sakura's. Wait…THREE SAKURA'S?

"Why are there three Sakura's?" Meilin asked. Angrily, she stepped forward to go to Syaoran, when suddenly she was deflected back by an invisible wall.

"What's this?" Meilin said. She began to pound on the wall with her fists and sent several kicks at it. All were failed attempts.

"It's a force-field. Naraku's keeping us out," Eriol said. Touya was enraged, and began to yell out to Syaoran.

"Hey kid!" Touya yelled, hoping to grab his attention. Syaoran didn't seem to hear at all.

"SYAORAN!" Meilin yelled, much louder than Touya's. Syaoran still didn't hear.

"He cannot hear, sense, or see us," Eriol said, as he studied the magic in the force field more closely. Everyone groaned in irritation. Then, everyone remained quiet when Naraku began to speak.

"There are three Sakura's. Each one of them has a snake wrapped around their arm," Naraku started, as he pointed out their arms to show the snake.

" Two of them are copies of the real one. You may remove one of the snakes without my interference," Naraku said. Syaoran's eyes widened. Was that all? Then, Syaoran's eyes narrowed.

"What's the catch?" Syaoran asked. He didn't think it would be that easy.

"The catch is…if you choose one of the copies…then you will be killed by the copy…and the real Sakura will be bitten and die," Naraku said.

Syaoran's eyes widened in shock. If he chose the wrong Sakura…then he and the real Sakura would die? He had a thirty-three percent chance of living…and a sixty-six percent chance of dying. The odds were against him.

"And what if I refuse to take this challenge?" Syaoran asked. Naraku gave a wicked grin.

"Then she will die anyway," Naraku said. Syaoran looked down. He had to go through with this, if he wanted to have any chance of saving her. Thirty-three percent chance was better than nothing.

"I'll do it," Syaoran said. Naraku smiled slyly, and made another gesture to the triplets to come forth. They all looked as lifeless as dolls. No expression was shown on their faces, and their skin was paler than normal. Other than that, they all looked exactly the same. This was going to be harder than it looked. '_Which one is the real Sakura?_' Syaoran thought.

Eriol was looking questionably at the triplets, with a look of confusion on his face.

"Did you notice something, Master Eriol?" Spinel asked. He knew Eriol all too well, and was no longer in drunk mode. Eriol gazed over to the others, who were looking at him for an answer.

"I think so…" Eriol said. Everyone began to listen closer.

"What did you figure out?" Feimei asked.

"Well…it all just sounds too simple. 'Just choose the right Sakura and you can go unharmed?'. It doesn't sound like something Naraku would do," Eriol said.

"So you're saying that there's possibly another catch?" Fanren asked.

"Yes, or a release of false information. He's lying," Eriol said.

"How do you know this?" Kero asked. Eriol pointed towards something.

"Look over there," Eriol said. Everyone's gazes drifting to the direction he pointed, and what they saw all caused them to gasp in shock. Naraku saw their expressions through his force field, and he only grinned. He knew that Syaoran couldn't hear or see them. There was nothing that they could do to interfere in this.

Syaoran studied each Sakura carefully, and couldn't seem to find any valuable clues as to which one could possibly be the real Sakura. They all looked exactly the same! He was never given any amount of time to choose, so he used each minute carefully and wisely. At least he wasn't being rushed to choose. That would certainly cause him to choose the wrong one! '_How can I choose the right one?_' Syaoran thought. He was becoming very frustrated. He stared into each one's eyes and found that all lacked any kind of life. They were the same shade of green, but didn't seem to have the light that normal eyes had. It was then, that Syaoran remembered something his father had told him long ago…

Flashback

The Li family had gone to visit Yelan's sisters one spring day. Syaoran was only two years old, and his aunts thought he was positively adorable. He hated visiting his aunts. They always hugged and kissed him, which a very distasteful thing for a young toddler such as himself. Yelan was among triplets, who couldn't be told apart from their appearance. All of the triplets had worn their hair down, making it virtually impossible to tell who was who. Syaoran always accidentally ran to one of his aunts when he meant to go to his mother. When this happened, the aunt he ran to would hug him to death.

Kyo laughed at his son's struggle. Syaoran didn't understand how Kyo could always tell his mother apart from the others. Curious as to how he did this, Syaoran tugged on his fathers clothing.

"Outosan, how do you always find mommy?" Syaoran asked his father, with his cute two-year-old voice (TOO CUTE!). Kyo smiled warmly.

"Let's just say that everyone has a certain glow to their eyes," Kyo told his son.

"Glow?" Syaoran asked, confused.

"Your mother has a light in her eyes that is different from everyone else. We all have a different kind. I'm different. Your aunts are different. Your sisters are different. Even _you_ are different," Kyo said.

"I can tell the difference, because no one can be _exactly _the same". Syaoran thought hard about what his father meant. The next time he wanted to run to his mother, he looked in their eyes and…he ran to the right person.

End of Flashback

Syaoran smiled from that memory. He had forgotten what his father long told him. Now he would find the right Sakura. After all…_ no one_ would ever have the same glow as her eyes. Syaoran scanned each Sakura's eyes carefully once again, and narrowed his eyes in realization. He glared at Naraku fiercely.

"You're a lying asshole," Syaoran stated. Naraku seemed surprised for a moment.

"_NONE _of these are Sakura," Syaoran said.

With the others

Everyone could not believe their eyes. What sat next to the tree unconscious…was Sakura.

"That asshole! He's lying on purpose so he can kill them!" Touya yelled outraged.

"That's not fair!" Meilin said, angered as well.

"We must help her! Maybe we can get to her!" Tomoyo said. Everyone nodded in agreement. They all ran towards the cherry blossom tree she lay next to, hoping that they could try and stop this madness sometime soon.

When they reached Sakura, they were stopped by yet another force field.

"Dammit! He's blocking us!" Yue said.

"Let's blast our way through then!" Kero said, as he began to shoot flames at the force field. Eriol nodded to the guardians. At that moment, they all began to blast beams and kicks with all the strength they could muster. Each blast and kick bore itself into the invisible walls, and seemed to be wearing it down.

"I think it's working!" Touya said, as he continued to kick harder and harder. Finally, with one last large blast, the wall shattered.

"We did it!" Meilin said happily. Touya ran to his sister who still remained unconscious. Everyone else followed.

"Sakura?" said Tomoyo, with concerned violet eyes. She didn't really care about video taping anymore. Eriol examined her closely.

"She doesn't seem to be severely injured. Only some cuts and bruises," Eriol stated. Everyone sighed in relief.

"Thank goodness!" Tomoyo said. Eriol smiled.

"You are a very kind person, Daidouji-san," Eriol said. Tomoyo smiled warmly. Suddenly, Sakura's emerald eyes opened slowly.

"Guys…is that…you?" Sakura started. Everyone nodded. Sakura smiled.

"Thanks for coming…" she said quietly. She gazed around for Syaoran.

"Where's…Syaoran?" Sakura asked. Yue pointed past the other force field in their way. Sakura gazed through, and saw Syaoran standing before three versions of herself .

"Why…?" Sakura started, confused.

"He cannot hear or see us right now. He's being forced to choose the right Sakura to save you and himself," Ruby Moon said. Sakura's eyes widened.

"The right Sakura? …But…I'm…" Sakura started again.

"We know. Naraku has lied to him," Eriol interrupted. Sakura stared in horror. So this was his plan? To kill him by using her?

"I can't let this happen!" Sakura said, as she stood up suddenly. However, as soon as she stood up, they all heard the words that brought them great relief.

"You're a lying asshole," they heard Syaoran say. It was quite shocking to hear after they had just worried about him being deceived. The slightly surprised look on Naraku's face was enough to say that his plan was not going as he had expected.

"_NONE _of these are Sakura," Syaoran said. Everyone smiled. He had figured it out! Naraku grinned.

"How did you figure it out?" Naraku asked, curious. Syaoran grinned.

"Because someone once told me that 'everyone has a certain glow to their eyes'. None of these could possibly have the same eyes as Sakura does," Syaoran said. All of the sisters gasped for a moment.

"Outosan," said the four sisters at the same time with a smile. Then, everyone remained silent as Syaoran began to speak again.

"Now…where's the _real _Sakura?" Syaoran asked. He was tired of the little games that Naraku liked to play. Now…Syaoran was in control of this game.

Lilover131: How was that chapter? I know…another cliffy…lol. It's the cliffhangers that keep people reading the stories! So anyways, as you know…Naraku is a lying, manipulative person. Hooray! They found Sakura! Although, even though it's happy right now because he figured out the trick…they are still in danger…That's all I'm telling you! HAHAHAHAHAH! See you next time!


	24. Venom and Anger

Disclaimer: I don't own ccs or the characters! Although, I wish I did!

Lilover131: Hey everybody! Did you all like the last chapter? I thought the little flashback was cute! Lol. I must be weird to be saying my opinion on my own story, huh? Lol. I'm sorry I took so long to get the new chapter up, but I'm on Spring Break, and I feel a little lazy. Lol. Anyways, here is chapter twenty-four!

**Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Twenty-four: Venom and Anger**

Syaoran stood before Naraku with glaring amber eyes. It is true that everyone has a unique glow in their eyes, for NO ONE would ever have the same glow as Syaoran's at that moment. Amber orbs glowed of determination, power, and love. Sakura smiled. She knew he wouldn't fall for Naraku's trick.

Naraku looked very disappointed from the failure of his plan. Although, he grinned still. It was not over yet.

"You are wiser than I thought," Naraku said. Syaoran grinned.

"This wasn't about intelligence at all. It was all intuition and experience," Syaoran said, correcting the statement.

"You think I've been all figured out, now don't you?" Naraku said, getting a confused glance out of Syaoran. Everyone behind the force field was confused as well. It wasn't over? Naraku revealed a wicked grin. Syaoran looked to the lifeless copies of Sakura as they grinned mischievously, and revealed their fangs. Suddenly, the triplets lunged at him at the same time. He quickly unsheathed his sword and slashed them successfully on their stomachs. However, even with the wounds, they continued to approach him. '_What?_' Syaoran thought, in a slight panic. Everyone beyond the force field was banging on the wall angrily, trying to break through. Naraku only smiled at them from their helplessness.

"Let us out you coward!" Touya yelled. Naraku grinned. The second part of his plan was going to work just fine. Syaoran was continuously dodging the copies attempts to bite him, and stabbed them without seeming to cause much harm. Naraku smiled. Now was the perfect time. Suddenly, he muttered an incantation silently to himself. Keeping his aura shadowed so no one would notice, he cast a spell. He gazed to Sakura with his blood red eyes straight into her emerald through the force field. When Sakura gazed back, her eyes went blank and she fell into unconsciousness.

"Sakura! What's wrong?" Touya said, when his sister suddenly fell to the ground. Tomoyo quickly ran to her and caught her before she fell. Tomoyo paled when Sakura's body turned cold. Everyone's eyes widened when the cuts and bruises originally on her body disappeared, and a deep gash suddenly appeared on her stomach.

"Sakura…?" Feimei asked, concerned. This did not look good at all…suddenly, Sakura opened her emerald eyes, which were completely devoid of life. She grinned evilly, revealing fangs. '_Oh no!_' Eriol thought. The evil Sakura raised herself up, and lunged at Tomoyo to bite her with her fangs.

"Watch out!" Eriol said, as he threw himself in between Tomoyo and Sakura. The girl's fangs sunk deep into his arm, causing him to wince.

"Eriol!" Tomoyo yelled. The guardians all knocked away the Sakura that had attacked them. She continued to walk towards them, as she smiled with a bloodied toothy grin.

"This isn't Sakura! It can't be!" Kero said, with his golden glaring eyes pointed at the imposter Sakura.

"He's right! Sakura wouldn't do this!" Eriol said, as he and the others dodged the clones attempts slash and bite them.

"But…if Sakura isn't here with us right now…then the real Sakura is…" Meilin said worried, as she gazed outside of the force field. They paled when they saw one of the once clone Sakura's suddenly stop moving.

"She's…there…" Fanren said.

Syaoran was continuously dodging the copies attempts to hurt him, and each attack he hit them with didn't seem to have a very great effect. '_What's with these things? Every slash I hit them with isn't hurting them!_' Syaoran thought in confusion. Suddenly, he saw one of the copies stand still.

Sakura opened her emerald eyes…and she saw Syaoran. He was kicking away the copies of herself, and almost didn't seem to notice her there. She smiled. Now she was beyond the force field! She could be near him now! However…he gazed his eyes to her and glared fiercely. Without much hesitation, he quickly charged her way. '_Wait a minute! I'm not a clone!_' Sakura thought panicking. Although, before she could warn him, he had already slashed her across the stomach.

Syaoran had expected this Sakura to keep fighting as the others did, but this one he just slashed had fallen to the ground clutching her stomach. Sakura fell to her knees, and tears flowed from her eyes freely. Syaoran did not expect this, but still maintained his cautiousness. When Sakura looked up with her tear-flooded eyes, he widened his eyes in horror.

"…Syaoran…" Sakura said, in a pained voice.

"Oh god…SAKURA!" Syaoran yelled, as he suddenly dropped his sword and ran to her. He quickly pulled her into a tight embrace, as he muttered words of apology into her ear.

"I'm so sorry…I'm so sorry…I'm so sorry…" Syaoran said, in a sorrowful tone.

"I swear…I didn't mean to…I didn't mean to hurt you! I'm so sorry!" Syaoran said, continuously apologizing. She looked up with her tearful eyes, and was pained to see his sad face. A slight ache appeared in her heart. To relieve Syaoran and herself, she returned the embrace as much as she could. As a result, Syaoran embraced her tighter. Suddenly, the copies lunged at both of them. The two remaining copies slashed at Syaoran with their sharp nails, ripping through his robes and skin, causing him to wince.

"Syaoran!" Sakura screamed in a weak voice. They wounded him again and again, until his robes looked like rags, and his skin was covered in scratches. No matter how much they hurt him, he refused to move.

"Syaoran! Please stop!" Sakura screamed, a little louder this time. Syaoran shook his head in protest. As the clones began to approach again, Syaoran finally released his embrace, and turned to glare at them.

"STAY BACK!" Syaoran screamed at them. His eyes suddenly glew a bright green, and flames erupted around them, blocking the clones path. The flames were high, and could not be crossed. Sakura stared in shock at the surrounding flames. She then saw Syaoran look to her with saddened green eyes. He lightly took hold of her hands, and moved them away from the wound he had given her. Syaoran took a look at the wound and lowered his head in shame. However, he then looked up in determination.

"Sakura…please try to lay down," Syaoran said to Sakura. She nodded and slowly tried to lay herself down. She winced from the pain when she tried to move, although she successfully lowered herself. Sakura gazed up at Syaoran who still looked sad. Syaoran placed his hands slightly above her wound, and closed his eyes.

"I'm going to help you," Syaoran said. Sakura gave a look of confusion. How would he do that? Her questions were answered when Syaoran's hands began to create a green aura of magic. Sakura watched as his aura surrounded her body. His aura washing over her was…such a warm feeling. Before she knew it…the pain had completely disappeared. She looked to herself, and saw that her wound had also disappeared. '_How did he do that? What happened to the wound?_' Sakura thought. Sakura saw the green aura suddenly pull away from her and onto Syaoran. Within seconds of the transfer, she saw him clutch his stomach in pain. She paled at the blood that soaked through his ceremonial robes.

"Syaoran!" Sakura screamed, as she sat up without any more difficulty. She placed her hands on his shoulders and gazed at him in concern. He looked up to her with pained, but happy eyes.

"Don't worry…this wound is not fatal. I'll be all right," Syaoran said to her in relief.

"WHY DID YOU DO THAT?" Sakura screamed, with more tears streaming down her eyes. The smile Syaoran gave showed that he no regrets for what he had done.

"Because a certain person might kill me if he saw you hurt," Syaoran said. Sakura continued to cry and embraced him. His eyes went back to their original amber, and the flames around them soon disappeared. The clones grinned evilly. Syaoran reached into his robes, and revealed Sakura's star key.

"You might need this," Syaoran said to her. She smiled and nodded in understanding.

"RELEASE!" Sakura yelled. Her star key quickly turned into a staff, and was firmly gripped into her hand. Luckily, she still had her Sakura cards with her.

"WINDY!" Sakura cried, as she released one of the Sakura card spirits. Windy pushed back the clones into the trees, and they both raised themselves off of the ground. Syaoran ran for his abandoned sword, and Sakura ran to the force field.

"THUNDER!" Sakura cried, as she released the thunder spirit. Thunder sent several lightning bolts at the force field, as it attempted to break it down.

Behind the force field

Everyone was dodging the clone's attacks, and trying to keep track of Sakura and Syaoran at the same time. They watched in horror as Syaoran charged towards Sakura with an attack.

"No! He thinks Sakura is a clone!" Meilin yelled. When they saw Sakura fall to the ground after Syaoran's attack, they stopped all movement. Syaoran…had hurt Sakura. Syaoran dropped his sword and ran to embrace her. No matter how much they wanted to break out of the force field and help, they could not. The clone continued to attack them, and they were running low on ideas.

"What can we do? Naraku's switched the real Sakura with a clone!" Touya asked, fighting off one of the clone's attempts.

"We have to stop this clone first!" Eriol said, as he assisted Touya. Touya held up a pretty good guard, until suddenly the clone found an opening. However, before it could injure him, Meilin came in with a swift kick. The copy hit the force field hard, and was knocked unconscious.

"Problem solved," Meilin said with a smile. Everyone looked to the unconscious clone in awe.

"Wow. Good job brat!" Kero complimented in his own way. Meilin glared with her ruby red eyes towards Kero from the 'brat' attachment. However, everyone's gazes turned to the couple in danger. A circle of fire surrounded them.

"Did Naraku put fire around them now?" Futtie asked, concerned for them.

"No. The boy did," Yue stated in a straight voice. When the fire soon disappeared, the new scene consisted of Sakura embracing a wounded Syaoran. Everyone's eyes flashed in concern, except for Yue, who could care less as long as Sakura wasn't injured. They saw Sakura and Syaoran then raise themselves off of the ground and head in different directions. Syaoran ran to his sword, and Sakura ran to them. The thunder card struck the force field with enough power to shatter it to pieces.

"Guys!" Sakura said happily as she ran to her friends and family. Everyone reunited with her, and they were glad to see she was all right.

"What happened to the wound?" Yue asked, examining where the wound had been earlier. Sakura looked to Syaoran, who now ran towards them.

"Syaoran…took it away…and gave it to himself," Sakura said, causing them all to widen their eyes. Syaoran finally made it to them, and the clones stood at their place unmoving.

"You were all behind a force field?" Syaoran asked them. Eriol nodded.

"Naraku had blocked us, and switched the real Sakura with a clone," Meilin said. Syaoran's gaze turned to the unconscious clone. Blood dripped from the corner of its mouth. When he saw the bite mark on Eriol's arm, his eyes narrowed.

"Were you bitten?" Syaoran asked, examining the mark. Eriol nodded.

"If not, then Tomoyo would've be bitten!" Ruby Moon exclaimed. Syaoran looked to Naraku who sat at the top of a nearby tree grinning. '_First…he kills my father…and now…he's trying to kill my friends…I WON'T ALLOW THAT!_' Syaoran thought to himself angrily. Eriol watched as Syaoran clenched his fists so tight that his knuckles turned white. Sakura was looking at Eriol's bite mark, with a few tears rolling down her cheeks in apology.

"This…is all my fault…" Sakura said. Everyone shook their heads in protest.

"No it isn't!" Fanren said.

"If you all hadn't come to save me…then no one would have be hurt! It's my fault…" Sakura said, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"No it isn't," said Syaoran suddenly, without making eye contact. Everyone turned their gaze to Syaoran.

"It's **_HIS_** fault!" Syaoran said, glaring at Naraku dangerously. White wings then sprouted on his back, causing everyone to look in wonder. What was he doing? He floated up in the air, and with his sword tightly clenched in his hand, he bulleted towards Naraku.

"No Syaoran! Stop! You're wounded!" Sakura cried. Syaoran listened not to her words of concern, and continued to fly forward in rage.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" Syaoran yelled in a very angry tone. His sword swiped forward, and tore some of the cloth on Naraku's clothes. He stared at Syaoran with his blood red eyes in surprise. Syaoran continued to attack in blind rage, as the others stared in shock. They had never seen him so angry. While everyone watched Syaoran's attack on Naraku, Eriol recalled his intimidating vision from the night before. '_Syaoran's attacking based on rage. He will never win this way…in fact…he'll get us all killed!_' thought Eriol. He would not allow that destruction to happen.

"Someone fly me up there!" Eriol said, in a demanding tone, which stole everyone's attention. Spinel immediately bowed in his direction, allowing Eriol onto his back. He quickly jumped on Spinel's back, and the two flew up towards the aggravated Syaoran. Syaoran continuously attacked Naraku, and he missed him by inches every time.

"Syaoran! Stop it right now! You're going to get yourself killed!" Eriol yelled out to him. He wasn't listening.

"SYAORAN! STOP IT!" Eriol yelled again. Syaoran still did not listen. Eriol sighed. He would have to go to drastic measures. Naraku was having a tough time dodging Syaoran's attacks, and felt slightly intimidated by the intense green-eyed glare. Spinel took Eriol close enough to grab Syaoran by his arms. He fought Eriol's hold desperately, still glaring at Naraku with insane angry eyes.

"LET ME GO!" Syaoran yelled loudly as he continued to pull out of Eriol's grasp. Eriol refused.

"Syaoran…you need to stop this. Your anger is going to get us all killed," Eriol said whispering in his ear. Naraku grinned, and began to leap away on the treetops, with his clones following.

"HE'S GETTING AWAY!" Syaoran yelled, fighting his hold even more.

"Let him go, Syaoran," Eriol said in his ear again. As much as he hated to let Naraku go, he knew that they needed to plan more carefully before trying to destroy him.

"WHY SHOULD I? WHY SHOULD MY FATHER DIE, AND HE GETS TO LIVE! LET ME KILL HIM!" Syaoran yelled frantically as Naraku disappeared in the horizon. Even after Naraku was gone, Syaoran continued to fight Eriol. Eriol closed his eyes in frustration, and then whispered in Syaoran's ear again.

"Please forgive me," Eriol said, before hitting Syaoran quickly on the back of his head. Instantly from the contact, Syaoran fell into unconsciousness, and his wings disappeared. Everyone on the ground stood in shock, unable to comprehend what had just happened. The guardians all flew up to them with a pair of people to carry each. Sakura had flown up on her own with the 'FLY' card.

"Is he all right?" Sakura asked, concerned, as Syaoran was lightly placed on Spinel's back. Eriol nodded.

"He's just unconscious. He'll be fine," Spinel said.

"What just happened?" Touya asked.

"I'll explain when we get back," Eriol said. Eriol's eyes were beginning to look glazed, and his skin was paler than normal.

"Are you all right, Hiiragizawa-kun?" Tomoyo asked, concerned. Eriol smiled to her in assurance.

"I'm all right…I just feel a little dizzy," Eriol said. Suddenly, he fell unconscious on Spinel's back.

"Eriol!" Sakura cried.

"We must get him home quickly," Yue said. Everyone nodded in agreement. Today had gone from peaceful to disastrous in a few hours. Although, on the way back, each person wondered 'why had they let Naraku go?'. Syaoran had made a very valid point. Why does he deserve to live after all he had done? All the answers were within Eriol's mind, who was currently unconscious. Possibly…they might not even get the answer.

Lilover131: Hey everybody! Sorry the chapter took so long! I hope you liked it! As you now know, Syaoran went totally insane, and Eriol is now in trouble. Why? Because of the bite of course! In the next chapter, we will discover is Eriol will survive or not. Should I be evil…? Lol. We'll find out next time! Please Review!


	25. To Cry and to Heal

Disclaimer: I don't own ccs or the characters! Although, I wish I did!

Lilover131: Hey everybody! I'll start by saying…I AM VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG! I have been really tired lately, and I needed a break from writing. My teachers have been loading me with papers lately, and I can hardly focus on writing…sob. Also…YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME! I have over 100 reviews now! That's another goal accomplished! My new goal is 150! I know…that'll probably never happen…but you can dream! Anyways, here is chapter Twenty-five! Enjoy!

**Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Twenty-five: To Cry and to Heal**

Suppie sat on the pillow next to where his master slept. Eriol had not yet woken up since they got back to the Li mansion. His skin was deathly pale, and his breathing was shallow. Most of the group had also been by his bedside. The sisters were tending to Syaoran's wounds in his room.

"W-will he be all right?" Sakura asked Ruby Moon worriedly as tears rolled down her cheeks. Ruby Moon looked down.

"I'm not sure…I've never seen a snake bite like this before…and…he has a very high fever…" Ruby Moon said, feeling as if she had let them down.

"What can we do to help him?" Tomoyo said, grabbing Ruby Moon's arm.

"I…don't know" Ruby Moon said shamefully. She wasn't quite sure what to do now. Not too long after, the sisters entered the room.

"How is he?" Feimei asked, as she placed a hand on his head to check his fever. She widened her eyes from the touch.

"Oh my goodness! He's burning up!" Feimei said worriedly. Everyone merely gazed at him sadly.

"How is Syaoran?" Sakura asked.

"Actually…his wound wasn't that bad at all. It still looked painful, but it was far from fatal," Fanren answered.

"He's the one who inflicted the wound, and it wasn't fatal? I guess the kid can't slice effectively!" Kero said obnoxiously, however relieved as well.

"It's not that he didn't slice correctly. He just had no desire to kill," Futtie said. Sakura smiled. Syaoran could be so merciful, even to his enemies. Although, she couldn't help but worry at his reaction to seeing his friends had been attacked. _"LET ME KILL HIM!". _Those words seemed to ring through her head. '_I've never seen him that angry before_' Sakura thought. Futtie had a first aid kit in her arms and quickly brought it to the feverish magician. She pulled out a long bandage strip and tied it tightly above the fang marks.

"This will help to prevent the circulation of the venom," Futtie said. Everyone was happy to see that they could at least do something to help him. After, she placed a cool towel on his forehead to help his fever.

"Now we should let him rest. We can check on his progress in a while," Futtie instructed. Everyone nodded in agreement. They all began to leave the room, except for Tomoyo who sat in a chair by Eriol's bedside.

"Tomoyo-chan? Aren't you going to come?" Sakura asked. Tomoyo looked to her silently.

"I would like to stay a little bit longer," Tomoyo answered, her eyes holding sadness. Something flashed in her eyes that told of her importance to stay. Sakura didn't dare ask any more questions.

"All right. I'm going to make some honey milk for Eriol-kun's fever, so I'll be back," Sakura said before leaving the room with the others.

When the door was closed behind them, Tomoyo looked at Eriol with saddened amethyst eyes. Eriol had been such a good friend to all of them. She felt horrible that he had been bitten instead of her. '_Why did he do that for me? I'm nothing special…_' Tomoyo thought to herself. The reincarnation of the great Clow Reed had sacrificed himself for her safety. '_For what reason was I kept out of harm?_'. Ever since the day he first came to Tomoeda, she began to like him more and more. He was polite, intelligent, strong, and overall a great magician.

Her growing feelings made her feel worse seeing him in this awful condition. Recently, she had even come to fall in _love_ with him. Tomoyo was mesmerized by his azure blue eyes, his ocean blue hair, and his charming kind smile. She had memorized his entire body feature from head to foot, and even made some clothes that she dreamed to see him wear. However, she dared not to show her feelings in any way. Without knowing his feelings in return, it was impossible for her to tell him how she felt. If he died today…she would never get the chance.

"Eriol…I love you," Tomoyo whispered sorrowfully. Suddenly, Eriol opened his eyes slowly. Tomoyo gasped slightly, not quite sure of what to do. Had he heard her? Eriol smiled.

"You…said my first name…just like back at the forest…" Eriol responded. Tomoyo blushed. She had forgotten that she called him by his first name at the forest. Tomoyo looked to Eriol with an apologetic look.

"It makes me…very happy," Eriol said rather weakly. Tomoyo looked to him in surprise.

"May I call you…Tomoyo?" Eriol asked. Tomoyo smiled.

"Of course," Tomoyo answered. Eriol looked up to her with a happy expression.

"Tomoyo…" he said.

"Yes, Eriol?" Tomoyo asked. She gasped slightly when she felt him suddenly take hold of her hand. His hand was so…cold.

"I…love you too…" he said. Tomoyo was utterly shocked. She had not expected him to love her back. Before she even realized, she felt something wet fall down her face. Eriol's hand then moved from hers to her face.

"You're crying…" Eriol said. A smile formed on her face, and she took hold of his hand.

"I'm…so happy!" Tomoyo said. Eriol carefully sat up, and pulled her into a tight embrace. Their moment was interrupted when a knock came from the door.

"C-come in!" Tomoyo said, as she quickly wiped the tears off of her face. Sakura entered the room with a tray in her hands.

"Oh! You're awake! I brought some honey milk for your fever," Sakura said, as she handed Eriol a glass of warm honey milk.

"Thank you very much Sakura-san," Eriol said quietly.

"I also brought some tea for you, Tomoyo," Sakura said, handing her a cup.

"Thank you very much Sakura-chan," Tomoyo said.

"Are you feeling any better Eriol?" Sakura asked concerned.

"I've been better," Eriol said.

"I should probably get back to sleep," Eriol said as he placed his mug down on the table next to him. After nodding in understanding, the two girls left for the exit. Before closing the door behind her, Tomoyo smiled brightly and mouthed 'I love you'.

Eriol looked to the fang marks on his arm. His whole body was throbbing, and his veins felt as if ice flew through them. Not to mention the dizziness was making him feel sick to his stomach. He had asked them to leave because he didn't want them to worry. He had pretended to act as if he was getting better, when he knew very well that he wasn't. Eriol's head fell to the pillow, and his eyes were slowly closing. Suddenly, a knock came from the door.

"Come in!" Eriol said weakly. He was surprised to see Syaoran open the door and enter the room.

"S-Syaoran-kun? I thought you were sleeping…" Eriol said. Syaoran's expression was blank, and he sat down on the chair next to Eriol's bed. He did not respond.

"Where's the fang mark?" he suddenly spoke up. Eriol weakly lifted up his arm and showed Syaoran the fang mark embedded on his arm.

"Syaoran-kun…you really should be resting…" Eriol started.

"Just shut up and stay still," Syaoran interrupted. Syaoran took Eriol's arm and lay it down on his side. He hovered his hands above the mark, and began to glow green. Surprised, Eriol looked up to Syaoran, whose eyes shone of a bright green and deep concentration. He felt his body slowly get warmer, and how Syaoran's seemed to get paler and paler. Syaoran felt the bite embed itself in his arm, and the venom flow through his veins like ice. Then, he finally severed the connection, which had left him feeling sick to his stomach.

Eriol was surprised. He had felt a lot better than before, although not completely. Syaoran looked a little sick, but seemed to tolerate it fine.

"Syaoran-kun? Did you just…" Eriol started. Syaoran gave a small smile that was soon followed by a glare.

"I took half of the bite. That way…no one will die today. However…I'm still mad at you for stopping me earlier!" Syaoran said, before hitting Eriol across the head. Eriol began to laugh, causing Syaoran to get very irritated.

"After we both rest…maybe I'll tell you why," Eriol said.

"We will heal. And after…we will plan how to stop Naraku," Syaoran stated. After giving one last glare, Syaoran left the room. Eriol looked out of his window at the moon that was slowly being covered by darkness.

"In two days…the half moon will surface…and we will be out of time," Eriol whispered to himself, before closing his eyes and falling asleep.

With Sakura

Sakura walked with Tomoyo through the hallways of the Li mansion. Sakura noticed that her friend had a very pleasant smile on her face.

"You look happy. Did something happen?" Sakura said, with a smile of her own. Tomoyo nodded.

"Yes, but I will tell you later," Tomoyo stated. Sakura gave a surprised look, but smiled again.

"I think I'm going to go to bed," Tomoyo said, opening the door to her room.

"All right. I'll stay up a little longer to take care of Eriol and Syaoran," Sakura said.

"Good night," Tomoyo said.

"Good night," Sakura said to Tomoyo, before the door was closed. Sakura walked through the hallways towards Syaoran's room so that she could check on his condition. However, she was surprised to see him standing at his doorway, leaning against the wall.

"Syaoran?" Sakura asked. He looked kind of sick. He was pale, and looked as if he was dizzy.

"Syaoran? Are you all right?" Sakura asked as she walked up to him. Syaoran looked over to her, and gave a smile.

"I'm all right. I just feel a little sick. How are your wounds?" Syaoran asked Sakura, taking notice of the bandage wrapped around her head, and the band-aid on her cheek.

"Me? I'm fine. Shouldn't you be resting…?" Sakura started, although she was interrupted by Syaoran's sudden embrace. Sakura was stunned at his action.

"Sakura…I'm so sorry. I told myself I wouldn't let Naraku hurt you…and…" Syaoran said, sounding upset.

"Syaoran…I'm all right…it…wasn't your fault," Sakura said. She was surprised when she felt something wet fall upon her head.

"I promise that I won't ever let him hurt you again," Syaoran stated strongly, as he tightened his embrace. Sakura embraced him in return. After a few minutes, Syaoran released his embrace, and he opened the door to his room.

"I think I'll rest now. Good night, Sakura," Syaoran said to Sakura, without looking at her.

"Good night," Sakura said quietly to him, before he closed the door. Sakura's hand drifted to the wet spot on her head. She looked to her fingers, which seemed to have a clear liquid on it. '_Tears…was Syaoran crying?_' Sakura thought. That would explain why he didn't look at her. It was then that she realized how much he really cared for her. The last time he cried was when his father died…and now he cried for her simply having a cut and a bump.

"…Syaoran…" Sakura whispered to herself. With that, she continued on through the hallways.

With Yelan

Yelan was surprised from the news she had received when her family had returned home. She found an injured Syaoran, Eriol, and Sakura…all from an attack Naraku had made. She mentally hurt herself for not being there when her son needed her most. '_Using copies of Sakura to mess with Syaoran's head…it's despicable! Not to mention making him hurt her!_' Yelan thought, hatefully. '_I should have been there!_'.

Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted as she heard a voice.

"_Yelan…you mustn't blame yourself for what has happened," _said a kind, feminine voice. Yelan gasped. She looked around the room, and found no one there.

"Who are you? Who's there?" Yelan said. This was not her husband's spirit.

"_I am closer to you all then you may think. Be strong, and never give up," _The voice said before disappearing. After hearing these words, Yelan then realized. She would never give up. Next time…she would be there to help. Naraku would not take another life from her.

Lilover131: How was that chapter? I'm SO sorry that it took so long! I just couldn't focus! I hope you liked it anyways. The 'Cry' part of the title refers to our 2 unlikely criers: Syaoran and Tomoyo! Didn't you notice she's never cried? Oh! If you guys have a myspace, mine is . It has a pic of chibi Syaoran as the default! ADD ME! Lol. See you next time!


	26. Dreaming of Wolves

Disclaimer: I don't own ccs or the characters! Although, I wish I did!

Lilover131: Hey everybody! I'm back! Lol. I've been busy with SO MUCH crap lately! Lol. However, I've made it a major priority to finish this story! I hope you guys won't be disappointed when it's all done! Well…here's another chapter! Chapter Twenty-six!

**Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Twenty-six: Dreaming of Wolves**

Syaoran slowly drifted to consciousness, however stayed in a half awake state. He kept his eyes closed, but acknowledged everything around him. He felt the sheets of his bed against his skin. He felt the wind from his veranda flow into his room. He felt the warmth of the sun, and the weight of something lying on his stomach. Syaoran was on his back, and felt as if he was sleeping on something other than his bed. Whatever he slept on was soft, yet sent some occasional pains down his spine.

Syaoran opened his eyes slowly, and gazed around his room. He felt the heap rustle on his stomach, and found it to be Kohaku. '_Kohaku? Where did he go anyway?_' Syaoran thought to himself. Syaoran remembered Kohaku had led them to the clearing where Naraku was, although seemed to disappear shortly after.

He would've expected Kohaku to glomp on his face right away after seeing him awaken, however the wolf remained in its place. '_Where did Meilin get Kohaku anyway? You don't find very many wolves in China_' Syaoran thought. Kohaku was a very mysterious baby grey wolf. Syaoran then gazed to his open veranda door, still remaining unmoving on his bed. The breeze was light, and the sun peeked through in little rays. Cherry blossom petals seemed to flow off of the trees and into the room. Syaoran smiled at the sight until he realized…when had he opened the veranda door? He surely didn't remember doing so.

He shot up on the bed immediately after this thought, which sent Kohaku jumping off of his stomach. He also felt the pain that traveled down his back feel suddenly relieved. When Syaoran gazed to his back, he gasped. His wings had appeared again. '_That's odd. My wings haven't appeared when I was sleeping before…_' he thought.

Before he could think any more about the strange opening of his door, or the wings mysterious appearance, he felt an extreme sharp pain in his chest. Syaoran gave a quick gasp, and clutched at his chest from the pain. Kohaku stood close to him, staring at his master in concern. The pain continued on for a few seconds, when suddenly Syaoran's wings returned into his back. Then…the pain stopped. Syaoran took a deep breath, and fell back to his comforting pillow. '_What…was that?_' Syaoran thought. Before he could process any more thoughts into his head, he drifted back to sleep.

With Eriol

Eriol awoke peacefully to the sound of chirping birds. He had felt much better than the night before, and seemed to be as good as new. Syaoran's healing spell really did the trick. Syaoran had recently learned how to heal people with this new inheritance. Unfortunately, whatever he healed would be inflicted on him. To keep anyone from dying that night, Syaoran had taken half of the poison from the deadly snakebite. Eriol began to wonder if Syaoran felt any better from last night. After all, he was already wounded before. He sighed. Syaoran could be so reckless. With his powers being so important to keep away from Naraku, it endangered everybody when he was injured.

Suddenly, a knock was heard at the door.

"Come in!" Eriol said to the person who stood behind the door. When the door opened, the person was revealed as Tomoyo, who held a tray of breakfast in her hands.

"Good morning, Eriol. I brought you some breakfast," Tomoyo said shyly as she placed the try on his lap. Eriol took hold of Tomoyo's gentle hand, and he placed a light kiss upon it.

"Thank you very much, Tomoyo," Eriol said with a smile. Tomoyo blushed pink, but returned the smile brightly.

"How are you feeling?" Tomoyo asked.

"I feel as good as new," Eriol answered. Tomoyo placed a hand on his forehead to check his fever. It was completely gone. Tomoyo smiled in relief.

"I'm so glad," she said.

"How is Syaoran?" Eriol asked. Tomoyo took a seat in the chair next to him before speaking.

"When we went into his room, he was sleeping. It seems as if he woke up a little bit ago however. His sheets weren't completely covering him, so we assume he woke up for a second. His wounds are fine, but he seems to be sleeping pretty deeply. Even Sakura couldn't wake him up for breakfast," Tomoyo stated.

"I see," Eriol said.

"And…Kohaku was just sitting there next to him. He almost looked concerned. He was probably worried about Li-kun sleeping in so late," Tomoyo said.

"He's a very mysterious wolf," Tomoyo stated. Eriol thought about the moments they had had with the baby wolf.

"…Very mysterious indeed…" Eriol whispered. Kohaku seemed to run off somewhere when they least expected it, and no one seemed to notice. Kohaku stood next to Kyo when Eriol spoke to him too. He also seemed to keep such a watchful gaze on Syaoran and Sakura. '_I might have to investigate this_' Eriol thought, before continuing his conversation with Tomoyo.

With Sakura

Sakura sat on a chair next to Syaoran's bed. He slept so peacefully, but she couldn't help but worry. Why hadn't he woken up yet? Tomoyo assumed from the condition his sheets were in, that Syaoran had woken up maybe for a little bit and gone back to sleep. Although she couldn't help but think that there was something else. She had no reason to be paranoid. He had no fever, and his wounds were in good condition. Mostly she felt this way because of the strange concerned look in Kohaku's eyes. At least she wasn't the only one.

Suddenly, her eyes spotted something on the sheets. Sakura picked it up daintily with her hands, and examined it carefully. What lie in her hand was a glowing white feather. Was it possibly from the sheets? However, when she examined it further, she realized that this feather was too large to be that from a sheet. After a sudden realization, she looked to Syaoran. '_Did his wings appear when he was sleeping? Why did that happen?_' She thought. Her mind did not linger on it very long, for when the door suddenly opened, her thoughts were interrupted. The person who stood at the door was Syaoran's mother, Yelan.

"How is he?" Yelan asked. Sakura put the feather in her pocket, and then gazed to Yelan.

"He seems to be fine. Although, he hasn't woken up yet," Sakura answered, then gazing to Syaoran again.

"I see. And you?" Yelan said. Sakura gave a smile.

"I'm fine!" Sakura said. Yelan gave a relieved look.

"I'm glad," she said.

"Have you eaten breakfast yet? Everyone else has," Yelan asked her. Sakura shook her head.

"I wasn't really hungry at the time…" Sakura started. However, her words were interrupted from the growling of her stomach. Sakura blushed, as Yelan gave a small giggle.

"Won't you eat with me?" Yelan said. Sakura smiled and nodded. The two left Syaoran's room as he lay on the bed unmoving and undisturbed. Kohaku gazed outside at the wavering cherry blossom tree branches, and the blazing sun on beating down on the veranda. When he saw that Yelan and Sakura were both gone, he walked outside through the open door of the veranda.

In Syaoran's dream

Syaoran gazed around him. He sighed when he saw that he was in the forest again.

"Dammit! Why do I always appear here?" Syaoran muttered to himself. He began to walk through to see if he could find anything to help him puzzle out the meaning of this reoccurring dream. He found himself wearing his ceremonial robes, and his sword was strapped on his back. Syaoran gazed to the sky. There stood the half moon shining brightly in the sky. '_There's always a half moon in the sky. Perhaps it means something?_' Syaoran thought to himself.

Suddenly, he heard the howling of a wolf. Then there came another. There were two. '_Wolves?_' Syaoran thought. Before any more thoughts appeared, he saw two fully-grown wolves run out of the bushes and into the clearing. One wolf was of a pure white, like snow, and its eyes sparkled of a bright green. The other wolf was of a pure black, like the night itself, and its eyes were blood red. The two wolves glared and growled at each other dangerously.

The wolves then ran at each other with a lightning fast speed, and then engaged in a full throttle battle. Syaoran stared amazed at the fight he was watching. The wolves bit and clawed at each other as if they had hated one another before even being born. Unconsciously, Syaoran took a step forward. The bells on his ceremonial robe rang from the movement.

Suddenly, the raging wolves seized their fighting for a moment, and turned to look at Syaoran. The wolves took a synchronized step forward, and Syaoran narrowed his eyes. The wolves took another step forward, and Syaoran pulled out his sword.

"Stay back!" Syaoran threatened. The wolves continued to step forward, and Syaoran glared intensely.

"I said STAY BACK!" Syaoran yelled. However, the wolves did not listen and ran full speed at him. Syaoran slashed at them with his sword, although they jumped forward at him and seemed to fly right through the sword. Syaoran's eyes widened in shock. '_What the…?_' Syaoran thought. The wolves jumped right through his sword and into his chest. His eyes widened to the limit, and he released a loud gasp. For an instance he could not breath, and his heart felt as if it was being ripped to pieces. In reaction, he dropped his sword to clutch at his chest, and he fell back onto the ground.

With Sakura and Yelan

Sakura and Yelan sat peacefully in the dining room eating a delicious prepared meal made by Tomoyo. She was currently talking with Eriol, so the two could not thank her properly yet. Sakura happily ate each bite. '_I just LOVE Tomoyo's cooking! I hope I can make food this good someday!_' She thought to herself.

"Sakura-san, how is your life at home? Do you have many friends?" Yelan suddenly spoke. Sakura finished a mouthful before speaking.

"Well…my father is a wonderful cook, and I have lots of friends in my class. They are all very nice to me. Tomoyo-chan is my best friend, and we all met Eriol when he transferred from England," Sakura answered.

"Really? How is Tomoeda? I heard the weather is nice there," Yelan said.

"The weather really is beautiful. The cherry blossom trees are gorgeous in the spring. There is a touch of every season in Tomoeda. Snow in winter, flowers in spring, heat in summer, and leaves changing colors in the fall," Sakura answered.

"That sounds like a nice place to live in," Yelan said.

"Absolutely!" Sakura said happily.

"How is living here? It must be nice living in such a large home!" Sakura asked. Yelan smiled.

"We often have a difficult time using all of the space. There has been some tough times living here, and some very convenient. I suppose you could say it's nice to live here," Yelan answered.

Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted as they heard a voice yelling.

"SYAORAN! WAKE UP!"

Syaoran's dream

With great difficulty, Syaoran opened his eyes as much as he could and gazed around him. There was fire everywhere, burning every tree within the area. Lightning struck in random areas, and the wind formed a twister. The twister was enhanced by water, and created a waterspout. The earth around him was cracking and splitting. That's when the screaming began. He heard a scream come from every direction, and all of them seemed familiar. He recognized them as… Ruby Moon…Spinel…Eriol…Touya… Yue…his mother… Futtie… Shieta…Fanren… Feimei… Meilin… Tomoyo…Kero… and even…Sakura.

Suddenly, he heard someone call his name.

"SYAORAN!" he heard a voice call. Then another voice called.

"SYAORAN! WAKE UP!" the other voice called.

In real life

Syaoran's eyes shot open quickly, and he was greeted with the peaceful reality. Eriol and Tomoyo stood next to his bed with VERY concerned expressions on their faces.

"Li-kun? Are you all right?" Tomoyo asked.

"Hiiragizawa…Daidouji-san…" Syaoran said quietly. He felt no more pain, and gave a relieved sigh that it was only a dream. The concerned look on the couple's faces remained.

"Why are you guys looking at me like that?" Syaoran said, as he sat up in his bed.

"You looked as if…you looked like…you were thrashing around so much…and it seemed like you… were in a lot of pain…" Tomoyo just barely muttered out. Syaoran looked to his hand, which tightly clenched his pajamas near his chest. He quickly let go of his pajamas, however did not go unnoticed by Eriol.

"Did your chest hurt?" Eriol asked Syaoran. Syaoran turned his gaze away from Eriol.

"It's nothing," Syaoran muttered. Eriol narrowed his eyes.

"Don't you dare tell me that _that_ was nothing," Eriol said rather coldly. Syaoran widened his eyes and gazed to Eriol.

"Things will not get any better if you don't talk to anyone," Eriol said. Syaoran could only stare at Eriol. Suddenly, they were interrupted as two concerned people entered the room.

"What happened?" Sakura said looking quite concerned. Syaoran looked down.

"I just had a bad dream. Hiiragizawa and Daidouji-san woke me up," Syaoran said. Sakura could tell from Eriol and Tomoyo's expression, that it was not _just_ a bad dream.

"Syaoran…" Sakura started, but she soon stopped herself. Then, Syaoran raised himself off of his bed, and he walked towards the door. Yelan watched her son walk past her, although she placed her hand on his shoulder. She felt him tense up immediately from her touch.

"Syaoran?" Yelan said. The way he tensed concerned her.

"I'm all right mother. It was just a dream," Syaoran assured, and then took her pale hand off of his shoulder. With that, he left the room into the hallway, with Kohaku following closely behind.

When Syaoran made it to the end of the hallway. He clutched at his chest not from physical pain, but emotional pain.

"Kohaku…" Syaoran started in a whisper. He kneeled down to pet the baby wolf.

"I won't let that happen…I…won't," Syaoran whispered again. Kohaku jumped into Syaoran's arms and licked him on the face. He gave a small laugh from the tickling sensation. Syaoran embraced the small wolf, and scratched behind its ears.

"I won't lose," Syaoran said in a whisper again. Then, Kohaku let out a small howl, although one that could be heard by the heart from miles away.

The heart is such a strange thing. At times it can be most confusing. It can be your greatest strength, and even your greatest weakness…

Lilover131: Hey everybody! I FINALLY finished this chapter! I hope you liked it! Anyways, I'll try to get the next one up MUCH faster than this one took! See you next time! Please review!


	27. Never Alone

Disclaimer: I don't own ccs or the characters! Although, I wish I did!

Lilover131: Hey everybody! Sorry that this chapter took so long to put up! I've been so tired lately. I'M ON SUMMER VACATION NOW! This means that chapters might come MUCH quicker (I won't make promises. I'll try though!). I'm really sorry if the last chapter was confusing. Anyways, here is chapter twenty-seven!

**Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Twenty-seven: Never Alone **

Syaoran sat against the cherry blossom tree in the Li garden. Things had been so peaceful a few days ago, and suddenly things had all shot down to hell. How could so many things happen to him in such a short amount of time? The day before his birthday, he had wished more than ever to see Sakura's smiling face. However, now he wished that she were not here. He couldn't stand the fact that every second she stayed with him was dangerous. Naraku could attack any time, and he would have difficulty protecting her.

"If I don't have complete control over my powers…how can I protect Sakura and the others?" Syaoran said to Kohaku. For some reason, he felt as if he could tell him anything. After all, it wasn't as if Kohaku could go around telling people his thoughts. He couldn't help but feel as if everyone knew more than he did. He wouldn't be surprised if Eriol did.

"If I told someone about the dream… would it help? Or would it only cause everyone to worry?" Syaoran asked Kohaku. Kohaku looked to him with thoughtful amber eyes. He could have told Kohaku, but he had a strange feeling the wolf already knew. Syaoran gazed to the medallion in his hands. It had once belonged to his father. Upon thinking of his father, he remembered something he had told him long ago.

_"Syaoran…there are some battles that cannot be fought alone…which is why we should never **be** alone"_ His father once told him. Syaoran also remembered what Eriol had told him after waking up from his nightmare.

_"Things will not get any better if you don't talk to anyone"_. Syaoran had contemplated on this hard. Finally, he had come to a decision. He would tell someone about the dream. With that, he stood up and left to go to the Li library with Kohaku following.

With Sakura

Sakura had long finished her private breakfast with Yelan. Tomoyo was currently sizing Sakura for a new costume that she was making. Tomoyo's room was as gorgeous as hers was. The only difference was instead of pink bedding and walls, Tomoyo's was a light shade of violet.

"You are going to look so kawaii (kawaii-cute) in this outfit!" Tomoyo said with sparkles in her eyes. Sakura sweat dropped. The outfit was probably going to be COVERED in ruffles and bows. Tomoyo was EXTRA happy today. Finally, curiosity got the better of her.

"Tomoyo-chan, what happened between you and Eriol-kun last night?" Sakura asked. Tomoyo was silenced for a moment. After finishing a measurement around Sakura's waist, she looked up to her and smiled.

"Something that we had wanted to happen for a while now," she responded briefly.

"Hoe?" Sakura said confused. Tomoyo could be so confusing sometimes. The smile she had on her face reminded Sakura of the time she and Syaoran had finally gotten together. That's when it dawned on her. Tomoyo and Eriol were going out! At this realization, Sakura smiled brightly. She was happy to see her precious friend so happy.

"So…have you and Li-kun had your first kiss yet?" Tomoyo suddenly asked. Sakura blushed beat red from this question.

"Well…no…" Sakura said rather quietly. Multiple times they came an inch away, but they were always interrupted. Tomoyo gave an evil sparkly grin.

"I know how we can get you two alone together!" Tomoyo said. Sakura blushed even darker. Sakura looked to her friend in wonder.

"How?"

With Eriol

Eriol sat in the Li library carefully studying the book that had been recently charred. He realized that he could use a restoration spell on the pages to help reform the lost sentences. This spell was useful, but very time consuming. After all, his spell had to search out for each tiny piece of the burnt pages. Most often, magicians would just simply claim burnt items as 'unusable', because they required so much magic to restore. Although, since he is the reincarnation of Clow Reed, this did not serve as much of a problem.

He gazed to the pages and found that the first sentence had now been finished. The sentence read:

The Li Ying Yang Inheritance is passed on to the Li clan heirs. It contains many incredible powers, which cause wondrous happenings and can also cause destruction.

Eriol narrowed his azure eyes from the sentence. This explained what he had seen in that vision the other day. He saw such destruction…and he knew that it had to be stopped. Although…HOW can it cause destruction? He still needed to know more.

Suddenly, a voice came from behind him.

"Hiiragizawa," said the voice. Eriol turned around, and there stood Syaoran.

"Hello my cute little descendant," Eriol said. Syaoran scowled but quickly shook it off. Eriol's expression had also gone serious when he realized Syaoran's reasoning was important.

"What is it?" Eriol said, beginning the conversation. Syaoran looked up to Eriol with troubled eyes.

"I thought about what you said earlier…and you were right. This will not get any better if I don't tell anybody. I haven't been telling you all enough," Syaoran admitted. Eriol smiled.

"Does this mean you will tell me what you saw in your dream?" Eriol asked. Syaoran nodded.

"Why are you telling me, and not Sakura?" Eriol asked, considering Sakura was a little trustworthier. Syaoran looked down.

"Because…if I tell her…she'll just worry. I don't want that. I want her to stay happy. She shouldn't be burdened by my problems," Syaoran said. Eriol smiled again.

"Hold still," Eriol said, as he suddenly placed a finger on his forehead. The Clow circle formed underneath their feet, and a light emitted from Eriol's fingertip. Visions began to flood into his head, and he closed his azure eyes to view them clearly. A half moon…wolves with green and red eyes…pain…destruction…screaming…Just from seeing Syaoran in so much pain caused him to clutch as his own chest. Then, he opened his eyes to gaze at Syaoran, who had his eyes closed tightly. The symbol still glowed from underneath them, and a light breeze blew around them. Syaoran slowly opened his eyes, which shone of concern. Quickly, Eriol severed the connection, and the glowing circle underneath disappeared.

"I see now why you were afraid to speak of this. There was nothing pleasant about that dream," Eriol said now in understanding. Syaoran frowned.

"What…" Syaoran started. Eriol looked to him.

"What is it?" Eriol asked, urging Syaoran to finish his sentence.

"What…do you think this means? Is it just a dream?" Syaoran said, looking concerned. The meaning couldn't be good. Eriol narrowed his eyes as he thought to himself.

"Syaoran…I also had a vision of this destruction. I don't believe that it's just a dream," Eriol stated disappointedly. Syaoran looked down sadly.

"…I see. Clow Reed's visions never deceived…so I don't suppose that yours would either," Syaoran said. He seemed to be deep in thought for a few minutes, when finally he looked as if he had come to a decision.

"Eriol…" Syaoran started.

"Yes?" Eriol said.

"I want you to train me," Syaoran said. Eriol seemed surprised for a moment.

"Why?" Eriol asked.

"Because…I can't control these powers. That's what the dream is trying to tell me…" Syaoran said. Eriol waited for him to finish.

" I seem to be lucky enough to use them when Naraku appears. However, a day will come when I can't use them on time, and everyone will get hurt because of it. Everyone already HAS been hurt because of it. I don't want that. Also, if I can't use my powers…Naraku will take them and hurt others," Syaoran stated. Eriol widened his eyes for a moment. How did he know that Naraku wanted that?

"How…" Eriol started.

"When you read my mind about the dream, I guess I read some of yours too," Syaoran answered. Eriol smirked. 'Impressive' Eriol thought. Syaoran glared slightly.

"You knew more than all of us…" Syaoran said.

"I had my share of things I needed to tell you too," Eriol responded. They stood there silently for a few minutes before Eriol spoke up.

"I will help you to learn control of your powers. They can't be that different from my magic," Eriol said. Syaoran gave a small smile in thanks.

"Thanks. Also…I was wondering if Yue could help as well?" Syaoran asked.

"What for?" Eriol asked. Syaoran sighed.

"I seem to be losing control of my wings lately…" Syaoran said. Eriol smiled.

"Of course," he answered, before the two left for the door. Kohaku was about to follow, but glared at a shadow outside the window.

With Sakura, Tomoyo, and Meilin

"What a perfect idea, Daidouji-san!" Meilin said gleefully. Tomoyo flashed a caring smile. Sakura was also smiling. She also liked Tomoyo's idea. The plan not only would give Sakura and Syaoran a chance alone together, but would also make things feel less depressing and tense around the house.

"What should we do to keep him busy for a while?" Meilin asked. Eriol suddenly walked into the room.

"That will not be a problem. I have agreed to help Syaoran do something that might take a while," Eriol said. Tomoyo and the others smiled brightly.

"Then it's settled! We will prepare this afternoon and begin tonight!" Tomoyo said as she placed her hands together. Everyone nodded in agreement.

With Yelan

Yelan sat peacefully in the living room drinking her afternoon tea. The weather outside was gorgeous, but she still felt uneasy. It was as if…something bad was going to happen. She could never tell when Naraku would pull off an attack. He came at random, and caused so much damage every time. She still felt distressed about the attack last night. 'I should have been there' Yelan thought. She still thought negative thoughts, even after the strange comforting voice had told her that she was not to blame. 'Who was that who spoke to me?' her mind questioned. She hated how there seemed to always be more questions than answers.

"Hello mother!" said someone from behind her. Yelan turned around and saw her eldest daughter stare at her with a smile.

"Wonderful day, isn't it?" she said, gazing out the window. Yelan gave a small smile.

"Yes," she answered. Feimei could sense the sadness in her mother's voice.

"Mother…you mustn't worry so much. Baby brother can take care of himself," Feimei said. Yelan looked to her daughter, and placed her teacup on the table.

"He…just reminds me so much of your father. I don't know what I would do if I lost him," Yelan said. The two women smiled as they saw Syaoran playing with Kohaku outside the window. 'Kyo…please protect our son…' Yelan thought to herself.

With Syaoran

A baby wolf was savagely attacking Syaoran. Kohaku had jumped into his arms, and began licking his face. The attacks were relentless, and sent Syaoran into several fits of giggles.

"Kohaku! Cut it out!" he said in between laughs. What was it with this wolf and licking faces? Kohaku jumped out of Syaoran's arms and ran around him in a circle, with his tail wagging at a face pace.

"Jeez! You're so hyper!" Syaoran said. Kohaku looked up to him with glowing amber eyes. Syaoran blinked for a moment, and when he opened his eyes…he did not see a baby wolf anymore. What stood in front of him was a majestic looking woman. She was gorgeous, and immediately reminded Syaoran of the moon because of her shining silver hair. Her white dress waved around her like wind, and her eyes gazed to him for but a moment before she gasped and disappeared out of sight.

Syaoran's eyes remained widened even after the strange woman had dispersed. He gazed down to Kohaku, who he found to have disappeared as well. Dazed with confusion, Syaoran blinked.

"…Strange…I must be seeing things again," Syaoran said quietly to himself. Syaoran sighed and walked inside to get himself a drink. Perhaps it was the hot weather that was going to his head.

Kyo watched from the shadows, and was not very surprised when the woman appeared before him.

"He saw you, didn't he?" Kyo said to the woman. She could not be seen clearly inside the shadow, but her voice reached his ears.

"Yes…but for only a moment. He believes he is seeing things," the woman replied. Her voice was as beautiful as she was. Kyo frowned.

"He is getting stronger," Kyo said. The woman nodded.

"The stronger he becomes…the harder it will be for me to keep them balanced," she said, with a concerned voice.

"…He's planning to train with Clow's reincarnation," she said rather quietly. Kyo looked to her worried.

"What? He is?" Kyo said. She nodded.

"What about Naraku? Does he know about this?" Kyo said. She nodded again rather sadly.

"He was watching. However…he does not know that we are watching too," she said before she began to leave again.

"I will do what I can," she said, and then disappeared. Kyo sighed. Things were not turning out as he had planned, but he knew that if anyone could handle this kind of situation, it was Syaoran.

"Syaoran…remember…that you will never be alone. I will do what I can as well," Kyo said before disappearing.

Lilover131: How was that chapter? I AM SO SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG! I have had exams and projects to do, and not to mention the lack of ideas! Any ideas would be very appreciated! I hope you liked this chapter! See you next time!


	28. Training and Preparations

Lilover131: Hey everybody! What's up? I hoped you liked the last chapter! I will try to update faster for now on (b/c I have 3 months and nothing to do…lol). Thanks to everyone who gave ideas! I will take all of them into consideration! Those of you who couldn't think of anything, thanks for trying! Anyways, here's chapter Twenty-eight of Cry of a Wolf!

**Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Twenty-eight: Training and Preparations **

Eriol watched as Syaoran entered the Li garden wearing his ceremonial robes. He looked determined and his eyes glowed of power.

"Are you ready?" Eriol asked. Syaoran nodded.

"More than I'll ever be," he said. Eriol pulled out his sun key, and began his incantation.

"_Key that hides the power of the dark, reveal your true form before me. I, Eriol, command you under our contract…RELEASE!_". The sun key transformed into the sun staff, and Eriol gazed to Syaoran before speaking.

"I am first going to train you on finding the hidden power within you," he said. Syaoran nodded.

"First, you must find yourself in complete peace. Rid all distractions from your mind," Eriol said. Syaoran breathed deeply before closing his eyes, and then attempting to calm himself completely. The whole world around him seemed to be enshrouded in shadows as if they were never there. Syaoran smiled inside. This was easy.

Suddenly, a loud piercing voice broke through the shadows in his mind. He opened his eyes and there stood Meilin.

"SYAORAN! I haven't seen you all afternoon!" Meilin said as she practically jumped on him from behind. Syaoran sent glaring daggers at her as his eyebrow twitched in annoyance. How could he concentrate when his family was almost ALWAYS a distraction? Meilin looked concerned for a moment.

"Did I anger you?" she said. Syaoran just sighed and looked to Eriol who was smiling rather mischievously. '_That bastard set her up for this, didn't he?_' Syaoran thought.

"I'm kinda busy with something here Meilin," Syaoran simply stated. Meilin sighed, but shook it off before walking back inside. It was better that he was busy anyway. This gave her time to help prepare for the _surprise_.

Syaoran looked to Eriol who gave a small chuckle.

"You must rid yourself of ALL distractions my cute little descendent," Eriol said. Syaoran glared. This was going to be harder than he thought.

With the others

"How are the decorations coming along?" Meilin asked Tomoyo. Her eyes sparkled in excitement, and her smile was more crazed than normal.

"They're coming along wonderfully!" she answered. Sakura happily ran up to the two girls.

"Meilin-chan, do you have any ribbons that I may use?" Sakura asked.

"Yes. There should be some ribbons in that closet down the hall," Meilin said. Sakura smiled in thanks and quickly ran to the closet. However, when she opened the closet, she was unexpectedly greeted by a tidal wave of boxes. Boxes wrapped in green buried her, and a dumbstruck look was on her face.

"W-what in the world?" was all she could mutter. Meilin's laughter rang through the halls at the event.

"I was wondering where Syaoran put those! They are the birthday presents from his fan girls!" Meilin said. Sakura widened her eyes.

"He has THIS many fan girls?" she said shocked. Meilin nodded.

"Yes. You'll have to be careful of them. They can be VICIOUS. If they find out about you, this could be your last day alive," Meilin teased. Sakura gulped. '_I had no idea Syaoran was so popular!_' she thought to herself. Meilin and Tomoyo giggled when they saw the slight look of fear on her expression. That was their Sakura…far too gullible.

With Syaoran and Eriol

Syaoran tried for the FOURTH time to achieve complete calmness. Meilin had interrupted his first attempt. His second attempt had been interrupted when Feimei bugged him to ask his opinion on a dress. His third attempt had been interrupted when he heard someone scream. He quickly ran into the house to see what the problem was, but was quickly shoved out.

"YOU CAN'T COME IN YET!" said his sisters and Meilin. Syaoran was very confused. '_What the hell is going on in there!_' he thought. Eriol sat by the cherry blossom tree, obviously amused by Syaoran's struggle to calm himself. Thus, Syaoran began his fourth attempt.

Syaoran's eyes were closed as he envisioned the darkness once again. All sounds, beings, and objects were removed from his senses. Nothing was distracting him, and his expression cleared of all anger.

"_Very good_," said Eriol's voice suddenly in his mind.

"_Now search for the power you desire to use_," Eriol spoke again. Syaoran gazed around in the darkness with his mind, and found nothing. '_How? How do I find it?_' Syaoran thought. Suddenly, something came across his vision. A wolf of pure white came into his presence. '_That wolf…that is the power I'm searching for…_' he thought in realization.

Eriol watched him from the outside, and suddenly Syaoran opened his eyes, which now shone of a bright green.

"Excellent. You've learned how to find your power. Now we must find out how to control it," Eriol said. Syaoran smiled triumphantly. Suddenly, Kero flew out to greet him.

"Hey gaki! Where's the sweets around this place?" he shouted. Syaoran's eyebrow twitched at the gaki comment, and he sent a glare in his direction. Suddenly, a lightning bolt flew down from the sky, and narrowly missed Kero's tail.

"Hey gaki! What's the big deal? You shouldn't be throwing lightning bolts at people who are tryin' to ask you a question! Jeez!" Kero said. Syaoran glared fiercely at the second gaki comment, and Kero immediately fled from whatever more lightning bolts were sure to come. Eriol sweatdropped.

"Or perhaps we should start with the wings…".

With Sakura and the others

All of the girls crowded in the kitchen frantically cooking. This night had to be PERFECT.

"How are the egg rolls?" Tomoyo asked Nakuru.

"Try one for yourself!" Nakuru said with a smile. Tomoyo picked up an egg roll and took a bite.

"That's delicious! Wonderful job Nakuru!" Tomoyo complimented.

"Arigatou, Tomoyo-chan," (Arigatou-Thank you) Futtie said. Everyone seemed to cook amazing foods. Meilin already had a buffet ready!

"HOEEEEE!" Sakura cried suddenly. Everyone turned to see what was the problem, and saw that smoke was now erupting from the oven.

"The cookies!" Sakura screamed. She ran to the oven, and before anyone could warn her, she grabbed the pan without her oven mitts. Sakura screamed loudly and dropped the pan on the floor.

"Oh no! Sakura! Are you all right?" Everyone said together as they crowded around to help her. Sakura held her hands and looked up to them.

"I ruined…the cookies…I should have paid more attention…" Sakura said with tears beginning to form. Everyone smiled. Sakura always put everything, even cookies, before herself.

"Come on, Sakura-chan. Let's go help your hands," Tomoyo said. As Tomoyo was walking her to a room, they all suddenly heard a voice call from the door.

"What's going on in here? I heard someone scream!" said Syaoran's voice. All of the girls panicked. He wasn't supposed to come in yet! Quickly, the girls ran to Syaoran, and they began to shove him out of the building.

"YOU CAN'T COME IN YET!" The girls all yelled, before slamming the door in a confused Syaoran's face.

"That was close," said Fanren. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Now…shall we finish the cooking?" said Feimei. Everyone smiled and nodded before continuing.

With Sakura and Tomoyo

"Are those good? They aren't loose anywhere, are they?" Tomoyo asked Sakura as she finished bandaging her hands. Sakura nodded.

"Arigatou, Tomoyo-chan," (Arigatou-Thank You) Sakura said. Sakura gazed to her hands and sighed.

"What's wrong Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo asked. Sakura looked to Tomoyo surprised.

"Did I make a sad face?" Sakura asked. Tomoyo smiled.

"No. I can just tell when something is bothering you," she responded. Sakura stared rather confused.

"Now…what is wrong?" Tomoyo asked. Sakura gazed out the window before speaking.

"It just feels like I'm not helping very much. Everything I seem to do goes wrong somehow…and everyone seems to be fine without me…" Sakura said. Tomoyo giggled.

"Sakura…you're the most helpful person I know. Everyone appreciates what you do for them, and I think you don't appreciate yourself once in a while," Tomoyo said. Sakura tilted her head slightly.

"Really?" she asked. Tomoyo nodded.

"It would make us all very happy if you did," Tomoyo said. Sakura smiled brightly for she was touched.

"Now…I know some people who would GREATLY appreciate some help finishing the cooking!" Tomoyo said. Sakura nodded before walking with Tomoyo back to the kitchen.

With Syaoran

"Just like Clow's reincarnation taught you, you will need to find your source of power before releasing your wings," Yue stated. Eriol observed from the cherry blossom tree nearby. This only took Syaoran a few minutes now that he could do it properly. Syaoran opened his eyes to reveal a bright green glow.

"Good. Now focus the energy onto your back," Yue said in his normal emotionless voice. Syaoran closed his eyes, and he felt his aura begin to snake its way towards his back. Suddenly, he heard a piercing voice break the walls of his mind.

"Hey! I came to watch! Whatcha doin'?" said Kero. Syaoran opened his eyes from surprise, and then sent a glare towards the guardian beast nearby. Suddenly, Kero began to laugh hysterically.

"What's so funny stuffed animal?" Syaoran asked very irritated. Kero merely pointed at his back. Syaoran gazed towards his back, and saw that he now had tiny useless wings on his back. They were too small to even flap.

"Ah crap," Syaoran whispered to himself. Eriol giggled from his place, and Yue smiled slightly in amusement.

"You call THOSE wings? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Kero said in a mocking tone. After a few minutes, both Eriol and Yue's expressions returned to serious, and Syaoran ignored the laughs Kero still gave him. Syaoran closed his eyes and felt his aura focus on his back once again. He then felt the tiny wings grow to larger size. The feeling was odd, and left him feeling a little dizzy. Syaoran staggered forward slightly, but was caught by the guardian in his true form.

"Hey kid! Are you all right?" said Kero, no longer mocking him. Syaoran straightened himself back up and nodded. He looked back up to Yue and Eriol with his normal determined expression. Yue smiled slightly again.

"Very good. Now, to fly…" Yue started, but was cut short when Syaoran began to lift off the ground by himself.

"Ah! What do I do?" Syaoran said, slightly panicking. His wings had lifted him up without him doing anything!

"Try not to panic because…" Yue started, but Syaoran had already taken off. He fled straight into the branch of the cherry blossom tree and hit his head.

"Ah dammit! Not again!" Syaoran said holding his head in pain.

"…Or else you might lose control…" Yue said, finishing his earlier sentence. Kero burst out laughing again. Syaoran tried to tune out Kero's laughing, and closed his eyes once again to calm himself. Without even opening his eyes, he could feel himself move upward and gently land on a solid surface. He could hear the bells of his ceremonial robes ring from the slight breeze. Syaoran opened his eyes, and found himself on his veranda. He looked down to the guardians, who looked rather impressed. '_So this is what Hiiragizawa meant about "staying calm" back in Tomoeda_' Syaoran thought to himself. Slowly, he began to float back down to the ground, about five feet from the ground, he heard Kero speak.

"Pretty good…for a brat," Kero said. Syaoran's calm exterior broke and he fell to the ground, landing straight on his back and crushing his wings. Syaoran sat up quickly and threw his hands behind him to soothe his now aching wings.

"Ah! That hurt!" Syaoran said. Yue walked over to him, and began to rub his wings slightly. Syaoran looked to Yue surprised from his actions.

"Wings are very sensitive things. Once you release them, they become part of you. So you will feel pain as well. This is a disadvantage in some situations. So you must protect them from being hit," Yue stated. Syaoran nodded in understanding. '_That explains why it hurt so much when I slept on them last night_' Syaoran thought. Suddenly, Syaoran could feel his wings return into his back, and his aura lessened its intensity. He began to feel a little weak, and used his hands to stop him from fully hitting the ground.

"I guess it's about time we stop for today," Eriol said, walking over to them.

"Why? It was just getting better when he fell like a loser!" Kero said. Syaoran glared towards the ground, although it was to be directed at Kero.

"Shut up you stupid…stuffed animal," Syaoran said weakly. Eriol giggled. Within minutes, Syaoran was napping against the cherry blossom tree.

"Using this magic seems to take a lot out of him," Eriol said. Yue didn't respond. Then, Eriol looked to Kero.

"Thank you Keroberos for trying to distract Syaoran," Eriol said. Kero smiled.

"Ah, it was nothing! I had fun doing it anyway!" he said.

"Syaoran cannot learn to control his powers if he cannot rid himself of distractions," Eriol said with a smile.

"Now…since Syaoran is asleep…we should go and help the girls finish the preparations," Eriol said. Yue transformed back into Yukito and Kero back to his false form, before they followed Eriol back into the house.

Lilover131: How was that chapter? I'm sorry it took so long to get up. I have summer laziness syndrome. Lol. Anyways, I'll try to start working on the next chapter right away! See you next time!


	29. Surprises

Lilover131: Did you guys like the last chapter? I'm sorry it took so long to get it up! I HAD to put this chapter up near the 13th though because it's a very special day…SYAORAN'S B-DAY! If you have numerous Syaoran plushies and figures like I do, then tell them happy birthday! Lol. Just kidding. Anyways, YOU GUYS ROCK! I have reached my goal of 150 reviews! Now the new goal is 200! Let's go for it! Anyways, here is chapter twenty-nine!

**Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Twenty-eight: Surprises**

Yelan walked into the Li garden and smiled at the sight of a slumbering little wolf. Syaoran had been sleeping so much in the past few days because of this new magic. '_I suppose it must wear him out quite a bit_' Yelan thought. As she watched him sleep, she remembered a moment from long ago.

Yelan's Flashback

"I don't wanna go to bed!" yelled a little Syaoran. Kyo chased him around the garden so that he could take him upstairs to bed. However, Syaoran was light and agile, which allowed him to run much faster. Kyo continued to run after him, despite the fact that he knew he couldn't catch up.

"Syaoran! You'll get tired eventually! Just go to bed!" Kyo yelled after him. He then began to run faster in hopes to catch up to his fleeing son. Syaoran looked back and noticed his father's increased speed.

"No! I don't wanna, I don't wanna, I don't wanna, I don't wanna!" Syaoran yelled as he began to run much faster. Kyo had long stopped from exhaustion, but Syaoran continued to run in fear of being caught if he stopped. After several minutes, Syaoran slowed to a stop and leaned against the cherry blossom tree. He slowly sat down and before he could protest any further, he had drifted to sleep. Yelan and Kyo smiled at each other from the sight. Carefully, Kyo picked up Syaoran's tiny form and began to carry him up to his bed.

"I told him he would get tired eventually," Kyo said after a gentle laugh. Yelan smiled.

End of Flashback

'_He was so small back then…_' Yelan thought. He was only three at the time, and now he was fourteen. Even at fourteen, he looked the same when he slept at three. When he fell asleep against this tree, Kyo would always carry him up to his room. Although, it saddened her that he would no longer be able to do that. '_He used to hate going to bed…and now he does without a fight. He used to sleep against this tree until you carried him up to his room…and now you never can…_' Yelan started in her head, as if she was speaking to Kyo. '_And now what I wish for the most…is for you to be back here to carry Syaoran up…like you always did. Will you carry him, my love?_'. There were several minutes of silence before Yelan looked down sadly. He would never carry Syaoran again. She then noticed Syaoran opened his eyes slightly and looked at her.

" Mother…" he said quietly. He attempted to rise up from the cherry blossom tree trunk he rested against, but failed horribly and fell limply on the soft grass. Within seconds, he was asleep again. Yelan crouched down to her exhausted son, and softly caressed his messy chocolate brown hair.

"I might as well get you to a bed," Yelan said quietly with a smile. She carefully picked up Syaoran, who was very light for his age, and carried him up to his room. She did not go unnoticed however, for the others saw her with Syaoran. He was placed lightly on his bed, while his sword was leaned against the wall. Before leaving the room so that he could rest, Yelan planted a light kiss on Syaoran's forehead.

"Sleep well, Syaoran," Yelan said with a smile.

With the others (several hours later)

"Wow! I can't believe we finally finished everything!" Sakura said in relief. Everyone smiled in success.

"Syaoran will love it!" Feimei said.

"I hope so! We worked so hard to prepare!" Meilin said.

"Wonderful job, ladies!" Eriol commented with a smile. Yelan then walked into the room.

"Did you finish?" Yelan asked.

"Yes!" everyone replied. Yelan examined the preparations.

"You all did an excellent job!" Yelan said. Everyone smiled in thanks.

"We all want Syaoran to be happy," Sakura said, speaking for Eriol, Tomoyo and the others as well.

" Syaoran is lucky to have such wonderful caring friends," Yelan said.

"So now what do we do?" Shieta asked.

"All we can do now is wait for Syaoran to wake up," Tomoyo said.

"That shouldn't be much longer," Yelan said. She had put him on his bed several hours ago.

"It seems that the training wore him out more than I thought it would," Eriol said. The training wasn't that difficult, but Syaoran did use more of his new powers than he has before. Even though Syaoran was tired from using his magic, Yelan was right. He would wake up soon. Until then…they would wait.

With Syaoran

Syaoran tossed and turned on his bed as he once again fell into his dream. He suddenly rose up with a gasp of breath and his body matted with sweat. He had had the same horrible dream again. This time he studied his dream further. He noticed that he had been in so much physical pain. However, the thing that had worried him the most was that he could not recall feeling any emotional pain. Not even after the screams of his friends. He felt no warmth, and all he could feel was anger and rage. This truly disturbed him.

"Am I doing the right thing by training?" Syaoran whispered to himself. He wasn't quite sure what path he was supposed to follow in order to prevent this. '_If the dream has continued…then am I doing something wrong?_' Syaoran thought. He was so very confused. His thoughts were interrupted by the growl of his stomach. There was no use trying to think over an empty stomach. '_I might as well get something to eat first_'. So to ease his hunger, Syaoran changed out of his robes and left for downstairs. He was surprised to see the entire downstairs was cloaked in darkness. The clock read that it was DEFINITELY not late enough for everybody to be asleep. '_Where is everybody?_' Syaoran thought.

"Mother? Sakura? Anybody? Is anybody down here?" Syaoran said through the darkness. There was no response. He continued to walk further until he heard a crashing sound, like that of a vase.

"Who's there?" Syaoran yelled. Still there was no response. '_Is it a robber?_' Syaoran thought. Surely if it was one of his friends they would respond. Syaoran did not continue though without picking up a weapon, which happened to be a fire poker. Syaoran slowly inched his way to the living room where the sound had come from, and his hand lay close to the light switch. For a few seconds, he remained still in that position, and then suddenly flicked the lights on. Syaoran prepared to attack an intruder in his home when suddenly…

"SURPRISE!" Everyone yelled as they rose from their hiding places. Syaoran fell over from shock. Everyone laughed from Syaoran's extreme reaction.

"Hahahahahahahahaha! The kid's got a fire poker!" Kero mocked. Syaoran sat up from his position on the floor and glared at the guardian beast. After seeing Sakura's smile however, he immediately was at ease and began to gaze around. The room was decorated in streamers, ribbons, and balloons in an amazing fashion. The table in the center was arranged with all of his favorite foods and snacks. What lie beside the food was a beautifully decorated cake and several boxes wrapped in green and other assorted colors.

"W-what's this?" Syaoran asked confused. He noticed that his sister's were all wearing the outfits that they had bugged him about earlier during his training. He then remembered how strange everyone was acting today. He saw Tomoyo smile at Sakura brightly before slightly nudging her in his direction. Sakura was blushing and was very shy.

"Syaoran…we all came here to celebrate your birthday this week. However, it was ruined by Naraku's sudden attacks. A birthday is not just presents and a party. The true meaning of a birthday is for your loved ones to show how glad they are that you were born. And we are all very glad that you are here today. To show you that we all care, we are giving you this celebration in which all of us contributed. Syaoran…Happy belated birthday," Sakura said with a bright smile. Syaoran flashed many emotions in his eyes. He had never expected them to do anything like this for him. '_So this is why they were acting so weird and not letting me in the house today_' Syaoran thought. All was becoming clear now, only…where did the scream come from? He had long forgotten how his real birthday was trashed by Naraku's attempt to kill him. He then noticed that Sakura's hands were bandaged.

"Sakura…why are your hands bandaged?" he asked as he lightly took hold of her hands to inspect. Sakura blushed.

"She forgot to put on her oven mitts when trying to save the cookies," said Tomoyo with a small giggle. Syaoran's eyes widened for a moment as he gazed to Sakura. '_So that was the scream! Sakura burnt her hands_' Syaoran realized. Slowly, his lips formed into a warm smile. He looked touched by her and everyone else's dedication to make him happy.

"Thank you, everyone. This means a lot to me," Syaoran said quietly.

"NOW ARE YOU JUST GONNA STAND THERE, OR CAN WE EAT ALREADY?" Kero suddenly said. Everyone looked to him annoyed.

"Kero, that's rude!" Sakura yelled. Kero only moped.

"What? I'm totally dying of starvation here! If I'm dead I can't protect anyone, now can I?" Kero said. Everyone sighed. Kero would never change. They were surprised to hear Syaoran's sudden laughter.

"I'm starving too. Let's eat!" Syaoran said. With that, the entire group headed to the table and filled their plates. Syaoran took something from about every dish. After all, they were all of his favorites! The family and friends all chatted happily as they ate, and nothing seemed to be able to break their happiness. After supper, they went on to opening presents. This gave them some time to ease their stomachs and have room for the cake that Kero was eyeing evilly. Kero would have to wait. The only gifts that were being given were those from Eriol, Tomoyo, Kero & Suppi, and Touya & Yukito (when I say the '&', I mean that the two give one gift from both of them). This was because Yelan, the sisters, and Sakura had already given theirs.

Eriol's gift was a very interesting book written by Clow Reed himself. Syaoran was grateful because this was something he had wanted for a long time now.

Tomoyo's gift was of course one of her specialties…a very unique outfit. This outfit was not casual and was black. The collar was Chinese style, the outfit was sleeveless, and the legs stopped right below his knees a little loosely. Starting at his hips but connected to the top, were two pieces of cloth that flew out behind him with red on the inside (it's kind of like his outfit in the 2nd movie, only it's black, sleeveless, and the bottom stops right below his knees. Also, the bottom is connected to the top. Check out Shadow Syaoran's/Tube Syaoran/the sleeping Syaoran's outfit to see). On the chest was a yin yang symbol. For once, Syaoran actually liked this outfit that Tomoyo made. The design looked like he could easily move about with no difficulties.

Kero and Suppi's gift was something both they and Syaoran loved…chocolate. Kero had tried many different kinds and did not fail to choose the best brand. Suppi had no problems avoiding the tasty treat, but Kero had difficulty restraining himself from eating the entire box. Fortunately for him, Syaoran was in a very good mood and gave him a piece as a thank you.

Last but not least, Touya and Yukito had given him something both useful and greatly needed. From them Syaoran had received various medical herbs and medicines. Yukito had always been the type to give things that were useful. Touya's reason was that Syaoran needed to help himself better and that he got himself into too much trouble.

After cleaning up the wrapping paper and ribbons left over, Syaoran thanked everybody for all of their gifts. Not too long after, they began the cake. The candles were lit and the traditional song was sung. However, Syaoran refused to make a wish off the candles.

"I have nothing to wish for. Everything I could ever want is already here," Syaoran said. So the candles were blown out with no wish. The cake was of course Syaoran's favorite…chocolate. The group all spent the night together in complete peace. Nothing could ruin this night. After they finished eating their cake, they all put in a home video that Feimei had videotaped a long time ago. The title of the video was 'The monster of Hong Kong'. The video started off with the three others sisters moving the little porcelain Chinese dolls in the small little house, which were supposedly the people of Hong Kong. Then a 2-year-old Syaoran, the monster of Hong Kong, rampaged around the little dollhouse.

"Gao! I am a monster! I will eat you!" said the little Syaoran, with 'gao' being his attempt at making a growling sound (if you've seen Misuzu in 'Air', you'll know how cute this sounds ). The sister's began to make the dolls scream in fear and tell Syaoran that their hero would come to their rescue and defeat him. Little Syaoran continued his destruction around the dollhouse when on cue, someone appeared behind him and began a tickle attack. The camera did not view his face, so his identity was still secret. Everyone smiled from hearing Syaoran's childish laughter. Syaoran especially smiled. He knew who this was that attacked him from behind.

"What are you doing, you little monster?" said the voice of the attacker with a kind and playful voice. The camera went upward and finally focused on the face of the holder. The person was indeed Syaoran's father, Kyo.

"We're making a movie," they heard the sister's say. Kyo smiled.

"Really? Because I could've sworn we had a real catastrophe going on here!" Kyo said with a laugh.

"Really?" said Feimei excitedly. Being still a young child, she was very naïve. Kyo nodded.

"Absolutely! It was quite convincing!" Kyo said. The sister's could be heard cheering.

"Well…Syaoran is pretty convincing as a monster," said Fanren teasingly. Syaoran gave her a famous death glare before growling at her and chasing her around the yard as if he really was a monster. Everyone in the living room laughed. Kyo could be seen picking up Syaoran and talking to the rest of his children.

"Well anyways, you'll have to finish filming later. I have a surprise for you," Kyo said. Feimei continued to film, and Syaoran gave a look of confusion.

"What's a surprise?" Syaoran asked. Kyo giggled before answering.

"A surprise is something given to you when you least expect it," Kyo said. Syaoran still looked confused for he titled his head in wonder. The children waited patiently for the surprise Kyo had for them. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out little charms. Each charm had a rectangular stone of their favorite color with their names engraved in gold calligraphy. Connected by a chain on the bottom was a small golden little bell. The sister's loved theirs, but Syaoran poked the bell mysteriously. He had never seen one before. He smiled from the lovely sound it made. The boy looked up to his father with happy big amber eyes.

"I like surprises!" Syaoran said. Kyo laughed.

"Will I get more surprises?" Syaoran asked. His father smiled.

"Life is full of surprises Syaoran," were Kyo's last words before the video ended. The end left everyone with smiles on their faces. Eventually, everyone grew tired and all left to go to bed. Sakura and Syaoran who now sat in the cherry blossom tree by their verandas did not however. The two were once again watching the moon, which now was on the second last day before the half moon would appear. Sakura was leaning her head on Syaoran's shoulder, and he leaned his head on her head.

"Thank you for tonight, Sakura," Syaoran said. Sakura blushed.

"Well…it was Tomoyo's idea. I didn't really do anything," she said. Syaoran picked up his head, looked at her and shook his head.

"No. I can tell you helped a lot. If you did not care deeply, then you wouldn't have hurt your hands for the sake of my happiness," Syaoran said with a smile as he gazed at her hands. Sakura smiled. Tomoyo was right. Someone did appreciate the things she did.

"Do they hurt?" Syaoran asked with concerned eyes.

"Well…Tomoyo took care of them well…so…" Sakura said. Syaoran slowly lifted up her hands and placed a light kiss on each of them. This caused Sakura to blush furiously. His attention soon left her hands however when he saw something on the branch next to him.

"What is it?" Sakura asked, as she noticed the item too. Syaoran picked it up lightly.

"It looks like a note," Syaoran said. Slowly, he read the note. The note read:

_Dear Syaoran,_

_You have grown up so much in the past ten years I've been gone. I wanted to give you this photo to remind you to never lose yourself. Your heart is the most precious thing you have, and being who you are is what makes it live. I wish I could be with you every day, but even though I'm not, I always have and still will watch over you. Take care of yourself and the friends you deeply care about. Happy belated birthday, Syaoran. _

_Love, _

_Your father _

Syaoran turned the photo around and saw himself at four with his father. They were both smiling and Syaoran was sitting on his father's shoulders. He smiled from the photo.

"What is it? Is it something good?" Sakura asked noticing his smile. Syaoran smiled at her lovingly.

"It's just another surprise," Syaoran said.

Lilover131: How was that chapter? I tried to make it a little longer this time since I took so long and missed Syaoran's b-day deadline. Lol. Darn it! That day was supposed to be perfect! Yay! More S+S! The scene was short, but still cute right? I'll get more in the next one. See you next time!


	30. The three protectors

Disclaimer: I don't own ccs or the characters! Although, I wish I did!

Lilover131: Hey everybody! I hope you liked the last chapter! The last one was to be peaceful and bring a little ease to our group. We can't have them ALWAYS in danger, now can we? Today is a VERY special day! TODAY IS THE ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF CRY OF A WOLF! Let's celebrate! I know I didn't get a whole lot of S+S in the last chapter. I will DEFINITELY try to get more! Anyways, here is chapter thirty!

**Cry of a Wolf- Chapter Thirty: The three protectors **

Several men sat in a circle in a dim lighted room. Candles were lit in the corners of the room, and the walls had many ancient Chinese markings. All held a serious gaze at the miniature pool in the center. An opening in the ceiling allowed the moon to reflect into the water. Once the moon made an appearance in the reflection, the water began to glow a bright white. Now a new vision was shown in the water. The water now revealed a slumbering Syaoran, who was currently tossing and turning from his reoccurring dream.

"Something is happening to the heir," said one of the men. The men all continued to watch the water intently.

"His dreams hold destruction and pain, and the reincarnation of our ancestor seems to have seen a vision as well," said one of the men.

"What has become of Naraku?" asked one of the men.

"He is probably plotting against the heir," said a man.

"The boy is not strong enough to defeat our clan's enemy yet," said another man.

"Perhaps we should teach him to control his abilities?" suggested a man.

"He has become stronger lately however," said another man. All the men began to think deeply. However, a cold eerie voice rang through the room.

"And so have I," said the voice. The candles in the room went out, and the pool in the center rippled destroying the image. The men all looked up to the opening in the ceiling, and saw someone looking down at them from above. Red eyes glowed brightly through the darkness as the shadowy figure blocked the moon's view, and the figure's evil grin was clearly visible.

"Naraku!" shouted one of the men. Once he had been recognized, the men all began to chant an incantation.

"You don't have enough power to seal me, you fools! Even Clow's reincarnation at this point doesn't have enough power!" Naraku pointed out. He then began a laughter, which made their blood run cold. Suddenly, about three people jumped down from the opening and began to attack the men. The people looked just like women, only their skin was far too pale to be normal, and their hair was as black as night. Their eyes glowed of the same red as Naraku's and illuminated in the darkness of the room. The men did their best to fight them, but the demon-like creatures were too powerful. Their blood lie all over the floor and on the creatures, which licked it happily off of their hands, as Naraku smiled in satisfaction.

"Well done, my beautiful little demons," said Naraku with an evil grin. The demon girls grinned evilly as well and began to approach their master.

"We only live to serve you master. We are happy to satisfy you," said the demon girls in unison.

"Now that the head elders are out of the picture, maybe my true desire will be easier to obtain," Naraku said.

"You want that cute little heir's powers, right?" said one of the girls.

"Let us help you master!" said another girl. Naraku's grin widened. He placed a hand lightly on each of their heads before speaking.

"Perhaps I will," Naraku said. They had served him well before.

"But for now…" Naraku started as he looked to the blood on the floor.

"…We shall leave a message," Naraku said.

With Sakura

Sakura shifted uncomfortably from her dream. She could see a burning forest, and heard the screams of her friends. Through the flames she could see a shadowed figure. The figure seemed familiar somehow, yet she couldn't quite tell. Suddenly, a feminine voice reached her thoughts and cried out.

"_Please help him…_" the voice said. Sakura became confused. '_Help who?_' she said in her mind back to the voice.

"_Please help him…_" the voice repeated again. Before she could ask again, she had woken up from her dream. Sakura gazed outside her veranda window. The sky was cloudy and looked as if it would rain later. She sighed. She was so hoping that today would be nice. Slowly, Sakura jumped out of bed and stretched. She then left her room and into the hallway, where surprisingly she saw Syaoran and Eriol. They were already dressed and seemed to be getting ready to go out.

"Good morning, Syaoran, Eriol," Sakura said, in a slightly tired tone. Both the boys gave her a smile and greeted her back.

"Are you going somewhere?" Sakura asked. They both nodded.

"Something has happened to the head elders. The others told me that I have to see something," Syaoran said. Sakura couldn't help but wonder what could've possibly happened to the elders. So to ease her curiosity, she made a decision.

"Syaoran…" Sakura started, as she tugged at Syaoran's sleeve before he could leave. Syaoran looked back to her.

"Yes Sakura? What is it?" Syaoran asked.

"…Can I go with you?"

On the way to the elders shrine

Syaoran, Sakura, Eriol, Yelan, Touya, Yukito, Kero, Suppi, and Kohaku all walked through the Li clan village and to the elder's shrine. They all received honorable bows from passerby's, and gazes from those through windows. Sakura gazed to the buildings in interest. They were beautiful, and were made of brilliant Chinese architecture. Finally, they arrived at a building much like the others. However, a crowd of people surrounded this building. All bowed in respect from their presence, and they cleared a path for the group to enter the building. When they entered, they came across a horrid smell.

"What is that smell?" Sakura asked, holding a hand to her nose. Syaoran already became nervous. This scent was all too familiar. '_Blood…_'Syaoran thought, recognizing the smell.

"We'll find out soon enough…" said Eriol. The group then came into sight of what they came to see, they were all stricken with shock. All of the head elders lie dead on the ground with pools of blood beneath them. The miniature pool in the center was stained red, and blood was splattered all over the wall. Although, the most shocking thing in the room was a message written on the wall with the elder's blood.

THE HEIR WILL SUFFER 

Sakura became frightened and grabbed Syaoran's arm in concern. Nearly everyone else narrowed their eyes.

"Naraku…" Syaoran said. Suddenly, an elder walked into the room.

"The head elders were murdered late last night," said the elder. Syaoran recognized this elder as Li Ming (Ming means 'bright or clear' in Chinese). Li Ming had always been a reliable elder who informed Syaoran and his mother on most events in the Li clan. Syaoran kneeled to inspect the cause of their deaths. There were deep irregular scratches all over their bodies; much like scratches from nails. Syaoran then pulled out his arm with a scratch from before to compare to. He had received this scratch and several others from the Sakura clones Naraku created. The same scratch on his arm was all over them.

"This is the work of Naraku's helpers," Syaoran said.

"So Naraku IS responsible for this," Eriol said with an angered gaze. Yelan gave a sad gaze to the deceased elders, and silently prayed. Sakura and the others also prayed for the elders.

"Xiao Lang-sama, the remaining elders are concerned for your safety. If the head elder's magic could not stand up to this person…then…" elder Ming said. Syaoran sighed.

"You all have no need to worry over me. I'm perfectly able to protect myself," Syaoran said. The one thing he hated the most was when people thought he needed to be protected.

"We all have complete confidence in your abilities Xiao Lang-sama, but we would feel more comfortable knowing you have complete protection," said elder Ming. Syaoran sighed deeply again. He had heard these words before. These words usually meant that he had no say in the matter and should give up soon if he wanted to maintain his respect.

"Fine. You can do as you like," Syaoran said in defeat. The elder smiled, and motioned for three people to enter the room. All were female and all shared the same height as Sakura. They looked to be close to her age as well. The elder introduced the first woman. The first girl was named Li Ai. She had long flowing black hair and radiant ruby eyes. She wore a long red sleeveless Chinese style dress that stopped at her ankles. The designs on the dress consisted of golden roses…perfect for a person whose name meant 'love'.

The second girl was named Li Lin (Haha. That sounds funny, doesn't it?). She also had long black hair, only it was set in one long braid. Her eyes were a brilliant green, however not as brilliant as Sakura's. She also wore a sleeveless Chinese style dress, only the skirt stopped at mid thigh and it was jade green instead of red. Also, instead of rose designs, hers consisted of gold bamboo and leaves. The green forest look suited her name, which meant 'forest' or 'fine jade'.

The third girl was named Li Shui. She also had black hair, although it was put into two buns on the sides of her head. Her eyes were a beautiful blue, and she wore a blue Chinese style dress much like the others, only her skirt stopped right below her knees. Instead of rose or forest designs, hers consisted of golden swirls and fish. This suited her name, which meant 'water'.

"These three girls are my daughters, and they exceed most others in their abilities. They will protect you well," said elder Ming. The three girls all bowed in respect.

"We vow to protect you no matter what!" said the three in unison. Syaoran looked away from the girls and gazed to Sakura. She smiled brightly to him. After sighing, Syaoran respectfully bowed in return.

"I am Li Xiao Lang. Allow me to introduce my friends," Syaoran said.

"This is my girlfriend, Kinomoto Sakura," Syaoran said, motioning to Sakura, who blushed bright red from the 'girlfriend' comment. Before he could continue with the introductions, the three girls interrupted.

"This is your 'girlfriend'? What a lucky girl to be dating the kawaii Li clan heir!" said the three. Syaoran and Sakura both blushed red. After shaking off the red on their faces, Syaoran continued with the introductions.

"This is the reincarnation of Clow Reed, Hiiragizawa Eriol," Syaoran said, pointing to Eriol. Eriol gave a smile to the girls, who bowed in respect for their reincarnated ancestor.

"These two are Kinomoto Touya, Sakura brother, and Tsukishiro Yukito, Touya's best friend," Syaoran said introducing the two. Yukito waved, but Touya did not respond.

"This is Spinel Sun, Eriol's guardian," Syaoran said. Suppi also did not respond.

"This fat stuffed animal here…is Keroberos, Sakura's guardian," Syaoran said. Kero glared at Syaoran, and earned a giggle out of the three.

"And lastly, my mother Li Yelan," Syaoran said. Yelan bowed and received a bow from the three. Then, the girls noticed something standing behind Syaoran's legs.

"What's that?" said Ai, pointing behind him. He looked to his legs and saw Kohaku cowering behind him.

"Oh! This is my pet wolf, Kohaku," Syaoran said. The girls smiled, and reached out to pet him. However, Kohaku growled at them ferociously. The group was confused by his reaction towards the girls.

"Kohaku? What's wrong?" Syaoran asked the baby wolf.

"He probably just thinks of us as strangers," said the girls, assuring him there was nothing to worry about. Soon after, the group all walked back to the mansion. '_I might as well get back to my training_' Syaoran thought to himself.

Back at the mansion

Once the group arrived back at the mansion, the three protectors made themselves at home. They were introduced to their room, which the three of them would share. The three girls were adored by Syaoran's sisters because of their 'kawaii-ness', and they seemed to be well liked by everyone in the house, except for Kohaku. Syaoran thought they were nice, but he was annoyed from the fact that they followed him like puppies wherever he went. They were even worse than Kohaku! And Syaoran was embarrassed from the constant comments. Everything he did was adored. The way he glares, the way he walks, the way he eats, the way he blushes when they talk about him, EVERYTHING!

"_They're just being nice_," his sisters told him. Syaoran thought differently. He wasn't one who liked a lot of attention. Sakura also received a lot of gazes from them, and simply smiled when they did. Sakura became disappointed by the girl's constant presence though. With them always around, it would be hard for her to spend time alone with Syaoran. '_Oh well…I guess I'll just have to deal with them_' she thought to herself. She could see that Syaoran was annoyed as well. The girls even followed him when he went outside to continue training with Eriol and Yue.

In the Li garden

Syaoran stood in the center of the Li garden, while Sakura and the three girls all sat on a bench nearby. Eriol had his staff released, and Yukito transformed into Yue. Syaoran stood quietly until receiving Eriol's order.

"Let's start with finding your powers again like yesterday," Eriol said. In response, Syaoran closed his eyes. However, this time Eriol began an attack before he could find the powers he was looking for. He quickly threw magic at Syaoran, who narrowly dodged them.

"What the hell was that for?" Syaoran said. Eriol did not answer and continued to attack. He continuously dodged, and eventually pulled out his powers with much difficulty. Once he did, Eriol stopped his attacks.

"During a real attack, you will only have a few seconds to pull out your powers. Your enemies will NOT give you time, so you must learn how to find them as quickly as possible," Eriol said. Now Syaoran understood.

"I see. I will try to do better," Syaoran said. Suddenly, the three girls cried out a cheer.

"GO XIAO LANG-SAMA! YOU CAN DO IT!" they yelled. Syaoran sweat dropped before moving on with his training.

Eriol had pulled out targets for Syaoran to aim his powers at. This inheritance seemed to allow him to use his normal elemental powers without an ofuda. Not to mention they were MUCH more powerful! After a few tries with each element, he was able to hit the targets straight through the center. Also, he often fired too much or too little of the powers. He had asked the girls all to watch somewhere safer when he nearly hit them. After he was too tired to use any more, he practiced his flight, which didn't take as much. He flew a lot better today than yesterday, and he did not hit the tree. He had slight difficulty staying in the air, but managed to control it all right. Syaoran smiled. Perhaps these powers wouldn't be so hard to control.

After his training was done for the day, he and the girls left to the living room to relax. Eriol however, left them to do something important in his room. No one questioned him for his reasoning's were usually important. With that, they left the Li garden.

In Eriol's room

Eriol sat on the bed of his room. He was working on the restoration of the book again, and thought happily about Syaoran's progress in his training. '_He seems to be getting much better_' Eriol thought. Finally, the second incomplete sentence was finished.

The more the owner seems to be in control, the less the person will realize that they are becoming more imbalanced. 

Eriol became very confused by this sentence. '_More imbalanced?_' Eriol thought. Suddenly, a thought rang in his head, which hit him like lightning. They were making the problem worse.

Lilover131: How was that chapter? I hope you liked it! Please review if you can! Anyways, see you next time!


	31. What now?

Lilover131: Hey everyone! I hope you liked the last chapter! Thank you for all the great reviews! You guys are the best! I'm sorry it took so long to get this chapter up! My computer has been horrible to me! Anyways, here is chapter Thirty-one!

**Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Thirty-one: What now?**

"You did wonderful in your training today, Xiao Lang-sama!" said Ai. Syaoran blushed. The group was sitting in the living room chatting, and the three girls still complimented him non-stop.

"N-not really…" Syaoran stuttered out in embarrassment. The three girls who had recently arrived giggled from his reaction.

"You are so adorable when you blush Xiao Lang-sama!" said Lin. Syaoran blushed even darker. Frankly, Sakura was becoming annoyed from their constant compliments to her boyfriend, but hid it well through her smile. She knew that Syaoran did not like them either. All four of the girls then noticed Syaoran rub at his eyes tiredly.

"Are you tired, Syaoran?" Sakura asked him. Syaoran rubbed at his eyes again before answering.

"A-a little bit," Syaoran said.

"You should rest! You need your strength!" said Shui. Syaoran yawned.

"I suppose I should get a little bit of rest…" Syaoran said. However, when he rose off of the couch to leave for his room, he plopped back on tiredly. Sakura was concerned for Syaoran for she knew that sleepiness was a side effect of his power use. She understood him completely for she had the same problem when she was changing the 'Clow' cards into 'Sakura' cards. Considering Syaoran probably wouldn't make it to his room, she thought of an idea.

"Syaoran, how about you lay your head on my lap and rest?" Sakura suggested. Syaoran blushed from the idea, but did not protest.

"Are you sure? It wouldn't bother you?" Syaoran asked. Sakura shook her head.

"It wouldn't bother me at all!" Sakura said. Syaoran slowly lay himself down and rested his head on Sakura's lap before falling into a peaceful slumber within seconds. The girls all watched in silence and listened to Syaoran's slow steady breaths.

"Would you like some tea, Kinomoto-sama?" Ai asked. Sakura nodded after a moment's hesitation. She felt bad that the guests/body guards were making her tea.

"Thank you very much," Sakura said before the three girls left the room. Sakura looked down to the sleeping Syaoran. Her hand caressed his soft but messy brown hair. Her eyes gazed at his nonchalant expression, and before she knew it she was leaning down towards his lips. She became just centimeters apart from his, when she finally stopped after realizing what she was doing. She couldn't kiss him while he slept! Despite her thoughts, she had to fight the urge of doing so anyway. Fortunately for her, Eriol appeared at the doorway, which snapped her out of her trance.

"H-hello Eriol!" Sakura stuttered out. Eriol gave a small smile in greetings.

"Hello Sakura-san," Eriol said. His azure eyes then gazed to the sleeping Syaoran.

"Syaoran-kun has fallen asleep again?" Eriol asked.

"Yes, he was a little bit tired from his training earlier," Sakura said.

Eriol's expression saddened slightly.

"So where have you been?" Sakura asked. Eriol paused for a moment before speaking.

"I was just doing a little research," Eriol said as he sat down on the couch.

"Research?" Sakura asked curiously. Eriol gazed to Sakura, who had a slightly concerned expression. Usually when he was researching something, it was either important or greatly needed.

"It's not a big deal. Don't worry about it," Eriol said. Sakura smiled.

"All right. So how were things in England?" Sakura asked. Eriol smiled.

"Things went fine. I went back to school, and Kaho has now graduated," Eriol said. Sakura smiled brightly from hearing about Kaho, or Ms. Mizuki, her old math teacher. She had helped her out greatly in the final judgment with Yue.

"I'm so glad! How was school in England?" Sakura asked. Eriol smiled again.

"School was fine. I was able to meet some old friends again. Although, I miss being in Tomoeda," Eriol said. Sakura gave a slightly sad gaze, but then smiled again.

"I see. Well, perhaps you can visit Tomoeda sometime soon!" Sakura said. Eriol gave a giggle.

"Maybe I will," Eriol said. Before they could speak anymore, Ai, Lin, and Shui all arrived back from the kitchen with tea. They handed Sakura a cup, and luckily brought the tray with them to give Eriol one too.

"Thank you very much!" both of them said. The four continued to chat and drink tea, while Syaoran continued to sleep. Everyone could not seem to avert their gaze from the slumbering boy.

"How did Xiao Lang-sama obtain these great powers?" the girls asked. Sakura and Eriol looked to each other.

"He inherited them from his father," the two said. They may have not known much about these powers, but that much they could say. The girls grinned.

"Interesting…" said the girls in a slight whisper. Suddenly, they saw Syaoran squeeze his eyes tight and clutch at his chest. His breaths suddenly became ragged, and his head seemed to throw itself around. Syaoran looked to be in a lot of pain. Sakura placed her tea to side, as did everyone else, and frantically shook Syaoran to wake him up.

"Syaoran? Wake up!" Sakura said in panic. He did not. That's when Eriol felt something in Syaoran's aura. His aura suddenly felt…strange.

"What is wrong with Xiao Lang-sama?" asked the three girls in panic as well. Sakura continued to shake him worriedly.

"It seems he is having some kind of nightmare…" Eriol said.

"SYAORAN!" Sakura screamed. She laid a hand over the one that clutched at his chest and began to tear up.

"We'll get some help!" said the three girls before running out of the room. Shortly after they left, Kohaku came charging into the room. Surprisingly, Syaoran then calmed down and slowly woke up. When his eyes opened, his expression immediately turned to concern when he saw Sakura's tears.

"Sakura? What's wrong?" he asked worriedly. He was surprised when Sakura suddenly bent down and scooped him into an embrace with a distressed sob. Syaoran lightly embraced her back and whispered in her ear that everything was all right. Eriol was sad to see Sakura's tears, and that's when he made a decision.

"Are you all right, Syaoran?" Eriol asked. Syaoran nodded.

"I'm all right. I just had that dream again," Syaoran said. Sakura widened her eyes.

"You mean that this has happened to you before?" Sakura asked. Syaoran became silent. The last thing he wanted was for her to get even more upset. Sakura looked to him sadly again. Eriol thought that they should speak privately and so he left the room.

"Why didn't you tell me about this?" she asked once Eriol had left the room. Syaoran was silent for a moment before answering.

"I…I didn't want you to be worried," Syaoran said. Sakura took hold of his hands.

"Syaoran…I don't want you to hide your pain from me…please…just please tell me about your hardships when you need to. I already can't do much for you…so…at least let me worry about you!" said Sakura while forming more tears. Syaoran widened his eyes, and then gave her a smile.

"All right. But…" Syaoran started. He then wiped away her tears with his hand.

"If you're going to worry about me, then we can't have you crying. I would feel much better if you smiled," Syaoran said. On cue, Sakura gave a bright smile, and Syaoran lightly kissed her forehead.

"Beautiful flowers do not cry…" Syaoran whispered in her ear. Sakura tilted her head cutely.

"Do wolves cry?" Sakura asked him. Syaoran was slightly stunned, and he didn't quite know how to answer this question. He smiled.

"…Yes…when they have lost something very important," Syaoran said. At that moment, he brushed away the bangs that were blocking her eyes, and caused Sakura to blush. He began to lean towards her face. Sakura began to lean in as well, and the two's lips nearly met until the three girls suddenly ran back into the room.

"Xiao Lang-sama! You're all right! We were so worried!" they said. Syaoran and Sakura jumped away from each other with bright red faces. Yet another moment had been interrupted. '_I thought they went to get help!_' Sakura thought angrily, as she noticed that the girls had brought no one with them. Kohaku immediately started to growl ferociously at the girls, and he received a glare back from them. Eriol reentered the room to relieve some of the tension.

"Syaoran-kun…can we speak privately?" Eriol asked. Syaoran gave a serious gaze, and nodded before leaving the room with Eriol. The two went into the long hallway, which was dark from the lack of windows.

"What is it?" Syaoran asked. If Eriol wanted to talk to him privately, then the reasoning must've been important.

"That dream you told me about…has it been continuing?" Eriol asked. Syaoran was stunned for a moment, but then nodded. He saw that dream every time he went to sleep.

"Does the fact that it's still continuing mean something? Am I doing something wrong?" Syaoran asked. Eriol adjusted his glasses.

"I don't know what it means…but…I've come to a decision," Eriol said. Eriol was silent for a few moments before speaking. What decision had he come to?

"Syaoran-kun…I don't think I should train you anymore," Eriol said. Syaoran widened his eyes.

"W-what do you mean? Why?" Syaoran asked confused. Eriol gave him a serious gaze.

"Because if the dream is continuing, then we're probably not taking this about the right way," Eriol said. Syaoran suddenly became angered.

"I have been trying to restore the book that Naraku tried to steal from the library a few days ago before the fire. Apparently, there is something he wanted to read. And that page was titled…**The Li Ying Yang Inheritance**" Eriol said. Syaoran widened his eyes, but was silent and let him continue speaking.

"I have finished two parts. The first was not very important, but the second is what led me to this decision," Eriol said. He continued to listen.

"You have been becoming stronger and now feel more in control of your powers, do you not?" Eriol said.

"Y-yes…because of your training…" Syaoran said. Eriol then looked into his memory and read the second part aloud to him.

"The second part read: _The more the owner,_ in other words 'You', _seems to be in control, the less the person will realize that they are becoming more imbalanced_," Eriol said. Syaoran's eyebrow raised in confusion.

"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked.

"Syaoran…I noticed something about your aura that is…strange. Your aura feels like it is not of light or dark, but…both. There is some kind of balance holding them in place," Eriol said. Syaoran became confused.

"So…what your saying is…that the stronger I become, the more that balance will break?" Syaoran asked. Eriol nodded.

"What will happen if the balance breaks?" Syaoran asked. Eriol was silent before answering.

"I'm not quite sure…probably what happened in your dream," Eriol said. Now that they knew this, they were back to square one. They had started this training to prevent this disaster, and now they were realizing that the training was making this worse. At least they had only done their training for two days.

"Well…if training is not the answer, then what the hell am I supposed to do?" Syaoran asked with a very angry and confused tone. Eriol looked down ashamed.

"I…I don't know," he said. Syaoran was angered by his answer, and punched the wall next to him. He leaned his head on the wall deep in thought, and then began to walk out of the hall towards the Li garden.

"Where are you going?" Eriol asked.

"I'm going to train," Syaoran said. Azure blue eyes widened.

"But…if you do that…then…" Eriol started.

"I'm not just going to sit here and hope that I can protect everyone from Naraku," Syaoran said.

"But Syaoran…what about your dream?" Eriol asked. Shadows covered the messy brown haired boys eyes.

"I'll find a way…I just can't sit here and do nothing. I liked it better when we had a plan. Having no plan at all just ticks me off," Syaoran said. Eriol frowned.

"If you do this…you could be taking a huge risk," he said. Syaoran grinned.

"Life is all about taking risks," Syaoran said, before walking out into the Li garden. The two did not say another word.

With Sakura

Sakura was surprised to see Syaoran walk out the door after his talk with Eriol. She simply assumed that he had talked to him about his dream, but she became even more surprised when she saw him training again. She couldn't help but notice Eriol's gaze, which held confusion of what he was supposed to feel. Consequently, both her curiosity and the silence in the room led her to speaking.

"Eriol, is something wrong?" Sakura asked. He closed his azure blue eyes in thought.

"I'm not sure…" Eriol said before leaving the room.

With Tomoyo and Meilin

Tomoyo and Meilin were in Tomoyo's room looking at a video camera intently.

"Ahh! We finally got them some alone time, and they still haven't kissed!" Meilin said angrily. They had secretly video taped them on the tree last night, and they were disappointed to see that the couple had still not kissed.

"We went through so much trouble to do it too!" Meilin finished. Tomoyo sighed.

"And I was so looking forward to getting it on tape too!" she said.

"Not to mention with those girls hovering over Syaoran all the time, it's going to be even harder to get them some alone time!" Meilin complained. Tomoyo then got an evil glint in her amethyst eyes.

"What if we got them to leave Syaoran for a moment?" Tomoyo said. Meilin grinned.

"You have a plan, don't you Daidouji-san?" Meilin asked. Tomoyo merely giggled in amusement. The two began to discuss the plan, while the rain began to fall outside.

With Syaoran

Syaoran was covered in sweat and his breaths were rapid. He had been training non-stop since his chat with Eriol. He couldn't afford to take a break; not when Naraku could attack at any time without warning. Syaoran continued to slash in the air with his sword, and focused all his magic into training. He glanced time to time at the window, where his dear Sakura watched him with concern. He knew that she was worried about him, but he didn't seem to care. '_I don't care about what happens to me…as long as she is safe_' Syaoran thought to himself. He knew that Eriol was concerned for his safety as well, but he didn't feel that it was right to stop trying just to keep himself safe. '_Even if these powers become imbalanced…knowing how to control them will hopefully keep my friends and family safe from harm. It's better than just sitting here_' he thought.

Syaoran became exhausted, but continued to train anyways. His vision was becoming clouded from the fatigue, and his body felt as if it would collapse at any moment. Despite this, he still continued. Soon, rain began to fall from the sky, and the coolness of the drops was all that allowed him to keep going. Syaoran released his wings and flew high in the air. He smiled as the cool droplets fell against his hot body and white-feathered wings. He circled around in the air and closed his eyes. The rain always seemed to bring him at peace, and it was as if the drops would wash away his pain. The rain had also fallen on the day his father died. Each droplet had washed away his tears and feelings of sadness back then.

Suddenly, he was in pain. His chest began to throb and he tightened his already closed eyes. The sensation that flew through him was excruciating, and he felt his world growing darker. He began to fall from the sky as he slowly slipped into unconsciousness. He came closer and closer to the unforgiving ground, but his senses continued to feel everything. Syaoran felt the cool rain, the burning pain in his chest, the wind from his speed towards the ground, and then everything stopped when he was slowly lowered down by a gust of wind. He opened his eyes slowly to see what had saved him. However, his vision was still blurred, and he only saw strands of silver and something colored amber pass his view. Before he could see anything more, his vision had gone black.

Syaoran now lie on the cold wet ground, and three dark figures stood over him with watchful eyes. However, the sound of an opening door led them to flee from their spots. For a few minutes, the fallen angel was on the ground to be under the cascading rain.

Lilover131: How was that chapter? I'm so sorry it took so long to get this up! My computer has been horrible to me, and I can't log in to anything online for some reason. Anyways, I'll try to update as soon as possible!


	32. If there's a will, there's a way

Disclaimer: I don't own ccs or the characters! Although, I wish I did!

Lilover131: Hey everybody! I hoped you liked the last chapter! As you can see, Syaoran is not the type to give up because of theories. So, he has trained himself to the limit! Let us see what happens to him! Here's chapter Thirty-two!

**Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Thirty-two: If there's a will, there's a way**

Syaoran slowly awakened to the sound of rain on his window and the sight of his concerned friends.

"Syaoran! Thank goodness you're awake!" Sakura said after giving him a smile. He noticed that she was holding his hand, as she probably had been for a while. Yelan looked to her son with a worried gaze and everyone else did as well. Syaoran quickly sat up, but was pushed lightly down by Yelan.

"Please lay down Syaoran. You need to rest," she said. Syaoran gave a confused gaze to his mother.

"W-what happened?" Syaoran asked. Eriol came forth, and began to speak.

"Are you feeling all right?" Eriol asked. Syaoran thought back and remembered what had happened before slowly nodding. Eriol sighed in relief before speaking again with anger in his tone.

" You were lucky that Sakura caught you with 'WINDY' on time! You could've gotten hurt! What were you thinking, training so much like that!" Eriol said angrily. Syaoran did not answer.

"Syaoran..." Yelan said in concern. Finally, he spoke but he still did not make eye contact.

"I have to keep training, Eriol. I have to train as much as I can if I want to defeat Naraku," Syaoran said. Eriol placed his hand to his forehead in frustration.

"...But because you trained too much, you were not able to help yourself! That was extremely reckless Syaoran-kun! What if Naraku had attacked you then?" Eriol yelled angrily. Syaoran simply looked away with a scowl on his face. Without responding to Eriol, he began to raise himself off of the bed.

"Where are you going?" asked Sakura. Syaoran did not look at her and answered quietly.

"I am going to continue my training," Syaoran said. Eriol suddenly became very angry.

"Syaoran-kun! You have already trained too much today! You need to rest!" Eriol said. Syaoran turned around to him and glared fiercely.

"I don't have time for your lectures Hiiragizawa," Syaoran said. Everyone was slightly surprised from his reaction. Soon after saying this, he began to leave for the door. Quickly, everyone ran from their spots and grabbed the boy before he could leave.

"Syaoran! You need to rest!" Yelan said to her son. Syaoran protested, and began to fight free from everyone's hold.

"NO! I CAN'T! I DON'T HAVE TIME!" Syaoran said as he continued to struggle. Eriol became concerned when he saw Syaoran's eyes turn green. He let go of Syaoran and warned the others quickly.

"Let go of him now!" Eriol said. Everyone hesitated for a moment, and then let him go. Syaoran reached the door, but then fell down to his knees. He felt very weak all of a sudden, and he could feel lightning sparks traveling around his body. Within moments, he had fallen down completely unconscious.

"W-what just happened?" Sakura asked. Eriol sighed.

"He is not fully in control of his powers. He's becoming imbalanced from this training. If we hadn't let go at that second, he might have accidentally shocked us," Eriol said.

"What do you mean by...imbalanced?" Sakura asked. Yelan suddenly thought back and began to understand his words.

"The balance in his magic is breaking... isn't it?" Yelan said. Eriol was silent before nodding, while everyone else only grew more confused. Suddenly, Yukito transformed into an angry Yue who immediately demanded answers.

"What is going on here? Tell me now," Yue demanded. The young magician with glasses sighed.

"I suppose I owe you all an explanation," Eriol said in defeat. He couldn't hide this from them all any longer. However, they all agreed that Syaoran should be placed back in his bed before any more questions were asked. Carefully as to not shock themselves by accident, they lightly checked him for remaining sparks before lifting him over to his bed. As soon as he had been put underneath his covers, the group left him to rest while they discussed the current situation in the living room. All of them sat down and began to listen to question Eriol.

"What is going on here?" Sakura asked. Eriol sighed before beginning to speak.

"You may not have noticed, but Syaoran-kun's aura has changed in the past few days. Recently, it has had a sort of balance of light and dark," Eriol said. All those who had spoken to him in the hospital knew what he was speaking of. He had told them this right before Naraku's attack at the hospital. Sakura however, was not there during this conversation, thus she widened her eyes in surprise. She then felt out for Syaoran's aura while he slept, and realized that Eriol was right. There were two sides of his aura, and something was keeping them balanced. 'How could I have not noticed?' Sakura thought, feeling slightly ashamed for her lack of awareness.

Eriol then told them of the issue as he had explained to Syaoran earlier. Everyone listened in shock.

"W-what will happen if the balance breaks?" Meilin asked worriedly. Eriol sighed. He wasn't quite sure if Syaoran wanted him to tell them about the dream or not. 'Syaoran-kun may not like this, but they all have a right to know what is going on' Eriol thought.

"...Destruction..." Eriol whispered. Everyone widened their eyes. Yue narrowed his eyes in anger.

"If destruction will be caused, then why is the boy training even harder than before?" Yue asked angrily. Eriol lowered his gaze from everyone.

"...That is...because of Naraku," Eriol said.

"But what in the world does Naraku have to do with all of this?" Kero asked.

"You see...I've been restoring the book that was meant to be stolen the other day. There was a page speaking of Syaoran-kun's inheritance, also called 'THE LI YING YANG INHERITANCE'. The page said that if the holder of the inheritance were to be killed, the one who has killed the holder would obtain the powers," Eriol said. Everyone gasped in realization.

"So this entire time...he was after the inheritance..." Yelan said. Eriol nodded.

"Syaoran-kun is training hard with hope to control his abilities at least enough to defeat Naraku. He is doing this because if Naraku defeats him, then everyone will be in even MORE danger. Naraku would not show any mercy towards the entire world," Eriol said. He began to understand Syaoran's decision a little more now because of this conversation. 'Syaoran-kun believes that Naraku will do far worse damage with his powers than he would. But I wonder if he is underestimating his power's abilities?' Eriol thought.

"So you're saying that his inheritance is uncontrollable?" Suppi spoke up. Eriol was silent. He wasn't quite sure what to say. There was still so little known about this inheritance.

"Probably..." he answered. Yue narrowed his eyes again in thought.

"I've never heard of powers that become less controllable with more training. Is there such a thing?" Yue asked. Eriol began to think very hard. Suddenly, he realized something.

"Actually...there is".

With Syaoran

Syaoran lie peacefully on his bed, and was unaware that he was not alone in the room. Kyo's spirit stood over his slumbering son. His gaze was full of sadness and concern. Suddenly, another female spirit appeared behind him. This was the same spirit he had spoken to before.

"How is Syaoran?" the woman asked. Kyo's intangible form turned to the other spirit.

"He is resting now. If he keeps training like this, the balance will snap," he said. The woman nodded.

"I know. I am trying my best to keep it together. With this extra training, it is becoming harder and harder to control," she responded. Kyo noticed that her normal posture had slackened and her voice seemed somewhat weaker.

"Are you all right?" he asked in concern. She breathed deeply before nodding.

"I'll be all right. This just takes a lot out of me," she answered. Kyo then gazed back to Syaoran, who seemed to be having the same nightmare he always did. He placed his hand over Syaoran's chest, where he knew pain would raise in soon enough.

"If I were still alive...I could help him through this," Kyo said sadly. The woman placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Do not blame yourself for something that isn't your fault," she said. Kyo still did not look any happier.

"But if I hadn't died...then..." he started.

"You died so that he could live. If you hadn't died...then he wouldn't be here now. And just because you did does not mean that you can no longer be there for him," she said comfortingly. Kyo smiled from her words.

"I suppose you are right," he said as he then removed his hand from Syaoran's chest. He would always be there for him.

With the others

"Is there really such a power that fits those categories, Eriol?" Suppi asked in interest. Eriol nodded.

"See...this can happen when you cannot control your powers by yourself. Something else would maintain control," Eriol said.

"What kind of thing would do that?" Sakura asked.

"Spirits," Eriol said. Everyone immediately began to listen for more.

"In everyone's body, there is a spirit in each heart that is the source of magic. Some are stronger in others, and some are weaker. The spirit automatically maintains balance so that you have limits to your abilities based on your strength," Eriol said. Everyone nodded and let him continue.

"So if you exceed your spirits limits, then the magic would lose control and shut off," Kero said. Eriol nodded.

"And the stronger your body becomes, the more your limits will rise," Yelan said. Eriol nodded again.

"Right. This is the natural balance of magic. Whether you are strong or weak inside will determine how much magic you can use,"

"So why would Syaoran have trouble with control if this is the system?" Sakura asked. If powers have a natural balance, then why was Syaoran's breaking?

"Well...that is a mystery in itself. However, I may have an idea," Eriol said. Everyone listened carefully.

"The first clue is his aura. Auras display your spirit's strength and side of magic. You use either Light or Dark Magic. Syaoran-kun's aura has both Light and Dark magic," Eriol said. Everyone widened their eyes.

"So the child has a spirit with both light and dark magic?" Yue asked. Eriol shook his head.

"No. Even if it did, it would still not have any problems with balance. That would fit into the system. The spirit would simply balance out the magic use on each side," Eriol said. Everyone became very confused.

"Then what is different about Syaoran's that disturbs the system?" Meilin. Sakura held her head in confusion and the room was quiet in thought. Finally, Eriol spoke up.

"Syaoran-kun may not have one...but TWO spirits," Eriol said. The entire room nearly fell out of their chairs in shock.

"So he has one spirit of light magic, and one of dark?" Tomoyo asked. Eriol nodded.

"So why does this cause a disturbance in the balance?" Sakura asked. The thoughts just kept running through her head and didn't seem to make any sense.

"With two spirits, there is technically no balance. The two spirits each have a different balance and have trouble matching. Syaoran-kun's balance is becoming mixed and strange because the two spirits have different limits. This interrupts the system," Eriol said. Everyone finally understood.

"Then the boy became stronger, and the limits became higher and more imbalanced," Yue said in understanding.

"Then how did Syaoran remain balanced for so long? He has been using magic since he was four!" Yelan asked.

"That part confused me. He was balanced for all these years until now. I'm baffled on how that can even be accomplished. It is impossible...unless..." Eriol started.

"Unless what?" Touya asked. The group nearly jumped from hearing his voice. He had been silent up until that moment.

"Unless there is something outside that maintains the spirits," Eriol said.

"Outside?" Sakura asked. She was so confused!

"Yes. Perhaps there is something or someone outside that is meant to maintain the two spirits so neither ones takes complete control," said Eriol.

"If that's the case...then if the balance is breaking now...that means..." Suppi started.

"...That the powers have become too strong to be controlled by the thing that keeps them balanced," Eriol finished. All eyes in the room widened. Silence remained in the room for several minutes before anyone spoke up.

"What do we do now?" Sakura asked. Eriol lowered his head.

"I'm not sure there is much we can do," Eriol said. Sakura then became angered, and tears started to form on her emerald eyes.

"We have to do something! We can't just leave Syaoran with this problem! We have to help him!" Sakura cried. Eriol thought hard and seemed to look irritated with the complications they were finding.

"The best we can do right now is keep Syaoran-kun from disrupting the balance further," Eriol said. Sakura did not seem to like his answer until he spoke again.

"And while we do that, I will think of a way to help him. If there's a will, there's a way," he said. Sakura then wiped away her tears and forced a smile.

"Right. We'll help him through this. There must be a way," Sakura said. Suddenly, Kohaku's furry self entered the room and began to lick Sakura's face. She giggled from the ticklish feeling.

"Will you help us too, Kohaku-chan?" Sakura asked the baby wolf. The little cub nodded as if it understood and curled into a ball on her lap. She pet his soft silver hair as he drifted to sleep. They would all work together...to save Syaoran...to defeat Naraku...to save the fate of the world.

Lilover131: How was that chapter? I'm sorry if it was confusing. If this confuses you, please tell me so I can explain it better maybe in the next chapter! And if the chapter was boring, I am also very sorry. I will try to make the next chapter more entertaining. Anyways, please try to review and see you next time!


	33. To Promise and Protect

Disclaimer: I don't own ccs or the characters! Although, I wish I did!

Lilover131: Hey everyone! I'm sorry if the last chapter was confusing! Perhaps if it was, then it will make more sense as the story continues. I'm also sorry that it was not as exciting as the other ones, but I just had to get out most of the information before continuing. AND I'M REALLY REALLY REALLY SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HELPING ME REACH MY GOAL OF 200 REVIEWS!! WE DID IT AGAIN!! THE NEW GOAL IS NOW 250!! AND TWO DAYS AGO WAS MY BIRTHDAY (had to get that out)!! Yay! I am 16 now! Anyways, here is chapter thirty-three!

**Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Thirty-three: To Promise and Protect **

Syaoran's amber eyes fluttered open from his reoccurring slumber. He was tired of constantly losing consciousness and didn't like to feel weak. However, he was confused as to what happened earlier. All he remembered was the electricity coursing through his body and then darkness again. Slowly, he sat up and gazed around his room. He was relieved to find that no one was there. Now he could sneak out and train! However, as soon as he began to get off the bed, the door opened. Sakura came in with a tray of tea and a warm hearted smile.

"Oh! I see you are awake! I brought you some tea," Sakura said as she placed the tray down on the table next to his bed. Syaoran stared at the tea on the tray.

"A-arigatou," Syaoran said quietly (Arigatou- Thank You). Sakura poured the drinks into the cups and then handed one to Syaoran. He slowly took the cup into his hands and took small sips. He had been very quiet for several minutes, which left Sakura frowning.

"Syaoran…are you feeling all right?" Sakura asked. Syaoran gazed to her rather blankly.

"I'm fine," Syaoran said quietly. He couldn't leave to train with Sakura being right there. '_She might call the others_' Syaoran thought and so he stayed in his place. The two continued to drink tea, and Sakura was becoming fidgety from the uncomfortable silence. Syaoran's amber eyes were boring into the cup at his darkened reflection. His mind was deep in thought, and Sakura watched him quietly. His gaze then turned from the teacup to the window of his veranda doors. The sun was setting in the horizon and left the sky glowing a bright orange. Yet another day was passing. '_Tomorrow is the day the half moon will rise…I wonder what will happen? In every dream, there was a half moon in the sky. What are my dreams trying to tell me about?_' Syaoran thought to himself.

Syaoran felt Sakura lean her head on his shoulder for a moment. He looked to her with worried eyes, and she looked up to him with the same gaze. '_The half moon will rise tomorrow…and when that happens, I may be out of time to protect those I love. I cannot let that happen!_'. Sakura became even more worried when she felt him gently shrug her off his shoulder and stand up.

"Where are you going?" Sakura asked. She felt as if she already knew, but couldn't help asking. He stood in his place and did not answer.

"You're going to go out and train, aren't you?" Sakura asked. He still did not answer.

"You ARE…aren't you?" Sakura said quietly with pain in her tone. Syaoran did not respond to her questions and began to walk towards the door.

"Thanks for the tea. I'm going now," Syaoran said and continued to walk away. Suddenly, Sakura dropped her teacup, which allowed it to shatter on the floor, and she ran towards Syaoran. She quickly grabbed him in an embrace from behind around his waist, which caused him to gasp slightly in shock from her sudden action. He felt her bury her face into his back, and the broken teacup and spilled tea was quickly forgotten.

"Sakura?" Syaoran said in a whisper. Sakura embraced him even tighter before speaking.

"HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT THAT WE CAN PROTECT OURSELVES?" Sakura cried. Syaoran's eyes widened.

"…"

"DO YOU THINK WE ARE TOO WEAK TO PROTECT OURSELVES?" Sakura cried again. Syaoran gave a sad expression.

"…No…but…" he tried to say before being interrupted.

"IF YOU TRULY BELIEVE IN US, THEN PLEASE JUST REST AND WORRY ABOUT YOURSELF FOR A WHILE!" Sakura yelled. Syaoran remained in her embrace completely speechless from her words. He had been so absorbed in protecting his loved ones, that he had forgotten that they were not helpless. Sakura felt herself being pulled down by Syaoran's weight when he suddenly fell to his knees. She could feel him lightly place his hands on hers which embraced him.

"…I am sorry Sakura…I didn't realize…" Syaoran said with a shaky tone. Sakura kept a strong embrace and simply rested her head on his back. '_I don't ever want to let him go_' Sakura thought to herself.

"I want to protect you, Syaoran," Sakura said in a whisper. Sakura was slightly shocked when Syaoran released her embrace from him. However, he had only done so to turn around and gaze into her emerald eyes.

"I want to protect you too Sakura…" Syaoran whispered. Not before long, Syaoran held her hands and began to lean forward slowly, while Sakura did the same. The couple's faces became closer and closer…until…

"XIAO LANG-SAMA! YOU'RE AWAKE!" yelled three familiar voices. Sakura's eyebrow twitched at the unwanted presence of the three bodyguards: Ai, Lin, and Shui. The three hyperactive girls were like three Meilin's from back in the card capturing days. To Sakura…it was one of the most irritating things EVER. However, because she is a kind and thoughtful person at heart, she had not tackled them to the ground and ripped their heads off yet. The girls quickly wrenched him off of the ground and began to pace around him.

"Um…what are you doing?" Syaoran asked confused. The girls then walked up to his front and looked to him seriously before smiling brightly.

"Checking you for injuries!" said the girls. The couple looked to each other with a strange reaction.

"Um…why?" Syaoran asked.

"We heard you had an accident earlier when it was raining, and we just want to make sure you were all right!" said the girls. Sakura and Syaoran sighed. '_It's a little too late for that…_' Sakura thought to herself. Lately, these so-called 'bodyguards' had come too late when Syaoran was in danger. They were useless! '_Where did they go anyway? They just disappeared for hours_' Sakura thought in realization. All of her thoughts fled when someone opened the door. The person who entered the room was none other than Yelan.

"…Mother…" Syaoran said quietly before she spoke.

"Dinner is ready. Everyone should meet at the dining room," Yelan said. On cue, everyone began to walk out of the room to go eat. However, Syaoran was stopped by his mother's arm.

"Not you, Syaoran. You are going to eat in here," Yelan said. Syaoran was slightly surprised.

"Why?" Syaoran asked with a confused expression etched on his features.

"Because you need to rest. I don't want you to over exert yourself," Yelan said. Syaoran groaned in irritation.

"Jeez…I'm so tired of resting all the time. I need to move!" Syaoran protested. His words made no progress in the situation. Within seconds, he remembered what he had heard from Sakura. '_But I believe in them…so I will rest…_' Syaoran thought once he remembered Sakura's words. Yelan was surprised that Syaoran had not argued further, for he usually did, and she left without another word. Ai, Lin, and Shui left shortly after her, but Sakura stayed in the room for another moment with Syaoran. Sakura looked to him as if she wanted to say something. Syaoran shot her a questioning look that told her 'what is it?'.

"Syaoran…will you promise me something?" Sakura asked. He instantly nodded.

"Promise me…that you won't use your magic today and tomorrow," Sakura said. Syaoran's eyes widened. Today AND tomorrow? He wished to argue, but there was one little problem…it was SAKURA asking him! He could not disagree with those pleading emerald eyes.

"…Fine…" Syaoran said in defeat long before the battle had even started. After this was said and the two linked pinkies, the promise was complete. Sakura smiled brightly. She began to walk out the door, but she then gazed back at him with a smirk. Syaoran suddenly had an unsettling feeling.

"And just to make sure you don't sneak out…I'm going to use the 'LOCK' card on your room!" Sakura said. Syaoran nearly fell over.

"Is that really necessary?" Syaoran asked with an agitated tone. Sakura's grin widened.

"Sometimes you must go to great measures to get someone to relax," Sakura said. Kohaku quickly ran into the room before Sakura pulled out her star key. Without saying another word, Sakura left the room and placed the magic shield around his room. He was stuck.

With the others

"Is it really necessary to lock Xiao-Lang-sama in his room like this?" asked Ai, Lin, and Shui. The group looked to each other in thought.

"YES," was the answer all of them said in unison. The girls blinked in confusion. Touya had especially agreed to lock him up. They all knew how reckless Syaoran could be. However, unless they wanted him to starve to death in his room, they needed to bring him some food. The bodyguards seemed to be the best girls for the job, and that was because feeding him should count somewhat as _guarding_.

"We'll be right back," said the three. Sakura and the others wondered why all three needed to go, but they really didn't care otherwise.

"I can already feel him trying to break through the 'LOCK' card," Sakura said. Everyone laughed. Those girls were going to be dodging shelves and dressers.

With Syaoran

'_Argh! Why do they have to treat me like a kid on grounding?_' Syaoran thought to himself. He threw multiple amounts of furniture at the door to escape and eat with the others, but the spell Sakura had put on it was a strong one. He sat on his bed sulking like a child. At least Kohaku was with him. He usually liked being alone, but he did not in these circumstances.

"Nowadays, I'm starting to question who I can trust," Syaoran said. Kohaku nodded as if he understood. Everyone seemed to be locking him up these past few days.

"Nobody trusts me enough to make my own decisions, and they all act as if they have to make them FOR me," Syaoran said. He sighed. Even though he felt restricted, he knew that they were all doing this to protect him. The only problem with this was that he HATED being protected.

"I want to protect them…and I feel like a weakling when it's the other way around," Syaoran said to the baby wolf.

"Do you think they should be protecting me?" Syaoran asked. He waited to see if Kohaku would answer. For a moment the wolf did not respond, and then it looked to him with fiery amber eyes.

"_I was **born** to protect you_," Syaoran heard a feminine voice say. His eyes widened in response to the voice.

"Who was that?" Syaoran said aloud. Before he could think of it any further, Kohaku jumped on him and began to lick his face. Syaoran giggled from the tickling sensation.

"Jeez Kohaku! Why do you always do that?" Syaoran said in between laughter's. The moment between the two wolves were interrupted when the three bodyguards came through the door. Kohaku began to growl immediately. Syaoran found Kohaku's reaction strange. He was always so friendly with people. Sure he growled and bit Touya at first, but now they got along just fine. Kohaku would've normally gotten used to them by now.

"We have brought you some food Xiao-Lang-sama," said the three girls. Syaoran slowly raised himself off of the bed and walked over to the girls. Gently, he took the dinner plate from their hands and bowed slightly in thanks.

"Arigatou," Syaoran said (Arigatou- Thank You). In response, the three girls got low to the ground and began to bow.

"We, simple clan people, do not deserve such thanks from the Li clan heir," Lin said. Syaoran sighed. Everyone in his clan felt that they were to worship him because he is the heir.

"…You don't need to bow…"

"But the Li clan heir deserves utmost respect!" Shui said.

"Just stop bowing and stand up!" Syaoran said loudly. The girls were slightly stunned, and they immediately stood up from the order.

"Yes, Xiao-Lang-sama!" said the girls obediently. Syaoran put a hand to his head in irritation.

"That wasn't an order…Just stop being so respectful. I'm no better than anyone else in this clan," he said. The girls smiled brightly from his words.

"What?" Syaoran asked. Why were they looking at him like that?

"You're just like your father," Ai said. Syaoran's eyes widened. Syaoran was silent for a few minutes as he sat down on his bed and began to eat his meal. The girls watched him intently.

"So you knew my father?" he asked in between bites. They shook their heads.

"No. But our father did. He always told us what a kind man he was. He always told the people of the clan to treat him as a normal person, and he was the strongest person around," said Lin. Syaoran nodded. That sounded like his father.

"…We were so saddened when we heard about your father's death. That must have been a very tragic moment for you," said Shui. Syaoran looked down with a wave of sadness in his amber eyes.

"He was murdered by Naraku, the man who currently haunts you…is that correct?" asked Ai. Syaoran nodded with a mix of many emotions on his face upon hearing Naraku's name. The sound of Naraku's name made him feel strange. Suddenly, Syaoran felt a small amount of dizziness course through him. He could feel a strong emotion of rage swirl dangerously within his body. A small gust of wind flew around him and caused his hair to blow in different directions. His eyes, which held such anger, began to blink from green and back to amber again. Electricity came in small doses under his feet and in his palms. When Syaoran realized what he was doing, he quickly stopped all occurrences. '_No. I won't let my magic be released. I promised Sakura that I wouldn't use magic'_ Syaoran thought.

"Are you all right Xiao-Lang-sama?" asked the girls. Syaoran sighed. There they went with the respectful talk again.

"I am all right. I just lost control for a moment," he responded. The girls still looked concerned, and Kohaku looked worried as well.

"Perhaps we should leave you so you can rest," Shui said. Syaoran nodded in agreement, and the three girls bowed, turned around, and began to head towards the door. However, as soon as they turned the knob, they stopped and turned back to face Syaoran.

"What's the matter?" Syaoran asked. The girls looked down.

"The door is locked."

Lilover131: Hey everybody! Did you like that chapter? I'M SO SORRY I TOOK SO LONG!! I've been SOOOOOOOO busy lately…. and lazy too. So we left the chapter with the three bodyguards getting locked in the room with Syaoran! WHAT WILL HAPPEN? Haha. You'll just have to find out! See you next time!


	34. Unexpected

Disclaimer: I don't own ccs or the characters! Although, I wish I did!

Lilover131: Hey everybody! I hope you all liked the last chapter! I know that some of you have been DYING with utter longing for this chapter (haha). YOU GUYS ROCK!! I am already near the 250 mark! I never expected to get close this fast. Thanks a lot! Someone should give you guys an award for your awesomeness! Anyways, I got a digital camera for my birthday from my parents, and I might post my drawings up somewhere where you guys can see. One picture I drew is of Syaoran with his wings! I'll tell you guys when I get them up, and you can check it out! Anyways, Here's chapter thirty-four!

**Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Thirty-four: Unexpected**

Sakura sat at the dinner table with a beaming smile. Syaoran seemed to be cooperating with them for the moment, and the dinner Fanren prepared was absolutely DELICIOUS. Everyone noticed Sakura's cheerfulness, and in reaction they felt the same way.

"This meal is wonderful Fanren-chan!" Tomoyo said respectfully. Sakura looked at Tomoyo quizzically from how she had addressed Syaoran's older sister.

"Fanren-chan?" Sakura asked, hoping to get an answer.

"Oh, right! While Fanren was in the kitchen, she overheard Eriol addressing me with '-chan'. She asked if she could address me that way as well, and in return I am going to address her with a '-chan' too!" Tomoyo answered. Sakura smiled.

" '-chan' just sounds so kawaii to me!" Fanren said.   
"I see! Fanren-san, may I call you 'Fanren-chan' too?" Sakura asked Fanren. She smiled.

"Of course you can Sakura-chan!" She answered. Sakura smiled brightly, and then continued to eat the delicious meal.

"No fair! I want to be called 'Futtie-chan' by them too!" cried Futtie. Tomoyo and Sakura giggled. All the other sisters wanted to be called that way too.

"There's enough '-chan's' for everyone!" Tomoyo said. Everyone at the table laughed.

"So, Tomoyo-chan…are you and Hiiragizawa-kun a couple now?" Feimei asked. Both Tomoyo and Eriol blushed bright red.

"…Um…well…I suppose…" Tomoyo said nervously. She gazed to Eriol for an answer. Eriol smiled.

"Why not?" he said. Tomoyo smiled.

"Really?" Tomoyo said. He nodded.

"If we have these feelings for each other, then why should we hold back?" Eriol said. Tomoyo became overly excited and embraced Eriol. Everyone smiled warmly at the couple. Eriol blushed even brighter than before. Once Tomoyo realized what she had done, she quickly withdrew.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have done that!" Tomoyo said embarrassed. Eriol laughed, and then took her hand into his own. He lightly placed a kiss on her hand, and Tomoyo blushed brighter in return as well.

"No problem. I actually quite enjoyed it," he said. The room was full of 'awwwwws' and they did not realize the problem that was happening upstairs.

With Syaoran

Syaoran stared at Ai, Lin, and Shui in disbelief.

"What do you mean 'the door is locked'?" Syaoran asked. They couldn't possibly have closed the door behind them without knowing how to get out…did they? The girls looked very embarrassed from their lack of awareness about the ability of the 'LOCK' card.

"…We closed the door behind us…" said the girls quietly. Syaoran sighed.

"Once you are in the 'LOCK' card's domain, there is no way to escape until Sakura unlocks it with her key," Syaoran stated.

"…So…we just closed ourselves into its domain…" the girls said in realization. They blushed in embarrassment. The shame soon faded, and they were replaced with smiles.

"Oh well! I guess we'll just have to wait here until Sakura comes up," said the girls. Kohaku did not look very happy to hear that. Within seconds, the three sat on the bed next to Syaoran.

"…Sooooooooooo..." the girls started. Syaoran gulped. He was not looking forward to this.

"How long have you and Kinomoto-san been dating?" Ai asked. Syaoran blushed before answering.

"…For a while now…" he said quietly. They grinned from his reaction to talking about Sakura.

"Have you two kissed yet?" asked Lin. Syaoran was a little uncomfortable with such personal questions, but figured he would answer anyway.

"…No…not yet…" he said.

"Why not? You love her, don't you?" asked Shui. Syaoran blushed bright red.

"…Of course…but…" Syaoran started.

"Well then if you love her, then why haven't you kissed her yet?" they asked in unison. Syaoran tensed.

"…It's not that easy…" Syaoran said. The girls grinned.

"Xiao-Lang-sama, it's VERY easy," Ai said. Syaoran shook his head in protest.

"No it's not!" he said. Ai then got up from the bed and walked over in front of Syaoran.

"It's VERY easy! You just lean in like this…" Ai started, and she began to lean towards Syaoran. Slowly her face inched towards his. They were about a centimeter apart when Syaoran suddenly panicked and jumped up so high that his head banged against hers. The two held their heads in pain. Ai laughed.

"It really _is_ difficult for you, isn't it Xiao-Lang-sama?" Ai asked.

"What kind of question is that? You just tried to kiss me!" Syaoran said. The girls all laughed.

"We were just teasing you anyways. You should kiss her when you are ready," Shui said.

"BUT YOU SHOULD DO IT SOON," said the girls. Syaoran blushed. He REALLY hoped Sakura would come soon. Suddenly, he felt a pain in his scars. In reaction, he winced and held his arm.

"What is wrong?" the girls asked in concern. Syaoran grimaced and looked to them with barely open eyes.

"Naraku is near…"

With the Others

The entire table was in laughter after a story Eriol had told. According to Eriol, Clow Reed had klutzy days just like everyone else. Only…when Clow Reed had his klutzy days, they were far more…_extreme_ (Enough said. Lol). Everyone ate comfortably…especially Kero and Yukito, whose plates were stacked quite high. Touya found the dinner very peaceful since he did not have to worry about a glare contest with Syaoran. All were nonchalant and had no idea what was happening upstairs…

With Syaoran

The three girls stared at Syaoran in worry.

"Naraku? He is here? Where?" asked Ai. Syaoran grimaced again from the burning pain in his scars.

"Somewhere…" Syaoran whispered. He closed his eyes and began to search out for the aura that burned him when near. His attention came to the doors of the veranda.

"There…" he whispered as he began to head towards the doors to the veranda. As soon as he opened the door, he saw a glowing red wall blocking the way out. This was the effects of the 'LOCK' card. However, though the wall, he could faintly see a shadow coming closer. Suddenly, the wall shattered explosively, and a strong gust of wind greeted him. The feeling chilled him to the bone as shadow came at him with great speed. He could feel a sudden impact from the shadow and then the ground on his back. The hit had knocked the wind out of him, and Syaoran gave a quick, harsh gasp for breath. Hefelt that the attacker had him pinned to the ground. However, he could not focus enough to fight back. His vision was slightly blurred, and his head felt dizzy. Although, because of the extreme pain in his scars, he knew that this was indeed Naraku.

"I'll kill you," said a deep cold whisper. He saw the blurred image of Naraku's sword above him. Slowly, it began its descent.

'_No…I can't die now…I have to protect…Sakura' _Syaoran thought. However, the next moment had not been expected.

With Sakura

Sakura was casually talking to Meilin when she felt the destruction of the shield she had created. Nearly all magical beings had felt it.

"What was that?" Eriol asked. Sakura eyes were widened in fear.

"I put the 'LOCK' card on Syaoran's room to keep him from sneaking out…and…the spell was just broken…" Sakura said.

"What?" Kero said. What could have possibly broken the 'LOCK' card?

"Does that mean that Syaoran broke out?" Tomoyo asked.

"No." Eriol said with worry as well. Everyone became confused.

"Someone broke in from the outside…Naraku…"

The room became dead silent. Without even asking, everyone rose from their seats and began to run upstairs. As they ran through the long dark hallways, everyone silently cursed the house for being so large. Every step felt like a mile longer to run.

'_I locked Syaoran in there without thinking about Naraku! I didn't think Naraku could break in so easily! More over, I made Syaoran promise not to use magic! He could be…no! He's alive! I know it!' _Sakura thought in panic. Her pace began to quicken and soon she found herself ahead of the group. Everything she saw in the halls was in a blur except the path that led to Syaoran's room. Her sight had no other thing to see. '_Faster! I have to run faster!_' Sakura thought. Quickly, she pulled out the 'DASH' card and put the magic object into effect. The group traipsed behind her and ran faster when they saw her clear the hallway in seconds. A few moments later, Sakura had made it to Syaoran's room. She then opened the door after a small moment of hesitation.

'_I won't hesitate **anymore**!' Sakura thought in determination. _Slowly, the door swung open; almost slower than she could stand to bear.

The glowing red sunlight in the room revealed almost all to her. Ai, Lin, and Shui were standing in defensive poses with weapons in their hands. Ai held a chain with a blade attached at the end (like a whip), Lin held a shuriken between each finger (those metal stars that ninjas use), and Shui held a sharp dagger in each hand. Sakura saw the girls had very serious gazes towards the veranda door. Naraku seemed to be nowhere in sight. However, she panicked when she didn't see Syaoran.

"Syaoran!" she yelled out.

"Sakura!" she heard a response. Syaoran revealed himself behind the three girls. She sighed greatly in relief. He seemed to be all right. Sakura was prepared to run towards him, but she was stopped by the bodyguards.

"Kinomoto-sama, please stay there! The enemy has not yet left!" yelled Lin. Sakura stayed where she was, and it was not long before the others entered the room. Suddenly, a shadow jumped up into the room. There stood Naraku with an enraged gaze towards the three bodyguards. However, Sakura noticed that Naraku looked different. His hair was…shorter. There were many black strands of hair on the ground in another area in the room. The evidence told that Naraku had barely escaped an attack…from the bodyguards.

"How dare you, you little brats!" he yelled at Ai, Lin, and Shui. The girls only grinned.

"Leave now, or we will be forced to take further action!" said the three. Naraku glared and growled. Although, he did not forget to send a glare Syaoran's way as well.

"I won't retreat that easily!" He yelled. Once again, he began to charge towards Syaoran in blind rage. He had been so close to obtaining his prize until the bodyguards had interfered with their attacks. The girls readied their weapons, and in one graceful strike, they had hit him all at once. Their show of martial arts and grace were both beautiful and amazing at the same time. Naraku hissed from the few shuriken that had pierced his flesh, though the bleeding was too dark to be seen through his black cloak. The chain from Ai's whip like chain wrapped around his leg, causing him to fall in one fierce tug. In a desperate attempt to somehow hurt Syaoran, he threw two snakes, which slivered their way towards the boy. However, Shui had reached the snakes before they reached Syaoran with a dagger stabbed into each snake. The girls looked down to the fallen enemy with a victorious grin. Naraku glared and suddenly gave an evil smile. In a small hand movement, the hairs that had been cut off turned into many snakes. In an instant, the snakes had begun their attack on everyone in the room. Using the distraction to his advantage, Naraku thus leapt up and out of the room. Within minutes, he was nowhere in sight or presence. As soon as he was gone, the snakes turned back into hairs and then to dust.

The group only stared in shock. No one had expected the bodyguards to send Naraku retreating…ESPECIALLY not the bodyguards. With a great smile, the girls turned around to Syaoran.

"Are you all right, Xiao-Lang-sama?" Ai asked, while tenderly holding his hand. He blushed slightly from the contact, and then shyly nodded.

"…That was amazing!" Feimei said. The girls giggled in embarrassment.

"Those were only the things we learned from our training! We were trained to protect the heir when needed," said Shui. Syaoran sighed.

"And the fact that they trained you so much means they must not trust me at all," Syaoran said. The room became silent for a moment.

"We completely trust you Xiao-Lang-sama! That is why we have probably seemed neglecting lately. We only act in times of need," said the girls. Sakura rolled her eyes in a way that no one would see. '_OH! And I suppose that means that when Syaoran was in pain during his dream, it wasn't a time of NEED?!!' _she thought angrily. Kohaku seemed to show the same thoughts as he growled at the girls ferociously.

"He still doesn't like us, huh? I guess he just dislikes strangers like us," Lin said in disappointment. Syaoran sighed again. Slowly, he knelt down to the angered wolf cub and pet behind its ear lightly.

"Kohaku, it's all right. You saw them protect me, didn't you?" Syaoran whispered. Kohaku remained unchanged. Syaoran was astonished at the cub's behavior.

"Kohaku…"

"Awww, we'll grow on the cutie sooner or later," said Ai.

"After all…it is a characteristic of all living things to adapt to the ever changing environment (felt in the mood for a biology lesson. Haha.) …even in their hearts," said Shui as she leaned close to the baby wolf's face. Kohaku suddenly quieted his growling and stared at the girls for a few moments with a narrow eyed gaze before leaving the room.

Syaoran gazed to Sakura with a smile. However, he saw her eyes become shadowed as she bowed her head down and left the room after Kohaku. Confused, Syaoran was prepared to follow. Although, he was stopped short when the bodyguards bombarded him with praise again.

Still gazing to the door where she left, Syaoran silently mouthed Sakura's name in worry. Something was not right.

Lilover131: FINALLY!! Sorry it took so long to finish! I've been busy with school, exams, laziness, and not to mention I was grounded for a while. Lol. Anyways, I'll try to get the next one up faster! So please try and be patient! Thanks for all the support everyone! Please try and review!


	35. As long as you're here

Disclaimer: I don't own ccs or the characters! Although, I wish I did!

Lilover131: Hey everybody! I hope you all liked the last chapter! I know you are all DYING for some S+S right now, and I hope this chapter will satisfy you for now. Last semester was difficult to get any writing done, because they were such boring and difficult classes. This semester, I have easy and fun classes! I will try to use this opportunity to get more writing done (especially now that I'm taking creative writing). I made some AMV's that some people seem to like (I honestly don't know why) of Tsubasa and CCS! You can find them here: (ask me for link). I will try to get a place with my drawings up soon. Anyways, here's chapter Thirty-five!

**Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Thirty-five: As long as you're here**

Syaoran sat on the living room couch with a great feeling of uneasiness. Sakura had not spoken to him since the earlier incident. She seemed upset about something. '_Did I do something that upset her?_' Syaoran thought worriedly. However, he never had a proper time to ask her about her feelings while they were in the living room. Everyone was in the living room listening to Ai, Lin, and Shui's training stories. This wasn't the right place to ask her about personal things. He would rather ask her when they were alone.

The sun had already set outside, and the almost half moon shone in the sky brightly after the short day of rain. Stars swirled brilliantly in the sky, or perhaps those were the city lights of Hong Kong in the distance.

After two hours of conversations in the living room, the group all decided that to be the best time to go to bed. Syaoran was in disagreement after he had slept for most of the day. However, he had no choice as his mother insisted he still rest. Did they all want him to sleep till he until he was dead? He was beginning to feel like they did.

Slowly, everyone walked to their given rooms and soon drifted off to sleep…at least…all but Sakura and Syaoran. Both lay on their backs staring to the ceiling in deep thought. Each had different thoughts running through their heads. Neither of them were able to drift to sleep like the others.

Syaoran did not feel the least bit tired, and he did not want to anyway. He did not want to admit it, but he was actually afraid of that dream he had every time he slept. The fear alone was enough to keep him fighting for consciousness. '_I don't want to see it anymore…I don't want to feel the pain anymore…_' he thought sadly. The dream tore his poor heart to pieces every time he saw it. He always heard his family and friends scream, but he could do nothing. He felt such an extreme pain in his body, and yet he could still do nothing. Syaoran felt powerless to stop this entire disaster from happening.

Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted when he heard his door creak open slowly. The dim light from the hallway entered his room in a slim line. Syaoran turned to see who was at the door, and he saw it to be Sakura.

"Can I…sleep with you tonight?" she asked quietly. Syaoran was surprised to hear these words from someone he thought was mad at him.

"Of course…" he said just as quietly. Slowly, Sakura made her way to Syaoran's bed and placed herself next to him.

"Sakura…are you all right?" he asked; the one million dollar question.

"…I just couldn't sleep…" she said. Syaoran shook his head.

"Sakura…I know something else is bothering you," he said. Sakura looked to him with a small smile.

"…There is something…but it's silly really," she said. Syaoran lightly caressed her face.

"Tell me anyways," he said. Sakura's eyes widened slightly. His amber eyes shone in concern for her.

"…Well…I told you today…not to use your magic today and tomorrow…and I locked you in your room," she said.

"…And?" he said, urging her to continue speaking.

"…Naraku appeared…and you could've been hurt…and it would have been my fault…" Sakura started. Syaoran stopped her there.

"Sakura…don't blame yourself. I know that you would never do something to me without a good reason. And besides…the bodyguards were there and…" he said, before Sakura interrupted and sat up sharply.

"No! Because they were there, you were all right. But what if they hadn't been there? You would've been hurt or killed, and it would have been all my fault!" she said through small tears. Syaoran gave her a caring smile and wiped away her tears with his hand.

"Sakura…you keep saying 'what if this had happened?' and 'what if that had happened?'. You shouldn't feel bad for something that has already passed. The fact is…it DIDN'T happen. Don't let the past pull you down," he said. Sakura still looked doubtful.

"We'll be ready next time," Syaoran said with a smile. She then smiled and took hold of his hand.

"…You're right…thank you," she said. Syaoran's grin widened and he pulled her into an embrace.

"But…I also felt a little jealous that the bodyguards protected you and I didn't," Sakura said honestly. Syaoran laughed.

"The sweet Sakura…JEALOUS? Since when has such a feeling ever been from YOU Sakura?" Syaoran said with a laugh. Sakura then found it funny as well and giggled lightly.

"To be honest…I didn't like it either. I felt like some weak little princess being protected by guards," Syaoran said. Sakura giggled.

"Syaoran-hime!" (Hime-an honorific meaning 'princess') Sakura said. Syaoran suddenly growled in irritation.

"Oh no! I shouldn't have said that!" he said suddenly feeling regretful for his words.

"Haha! That reminds me of that play we did in fourth grade! Remember...Sleeping Beauty?" Sakura said. Syaoran blushed as he remembered. He had messed up so badly in front of everyone. It wasn't his fault he couldn't walk in skirts!

"…Don't remind me of the most humiliating moment of my life," Syaoran said. Sakura giggled.

"Sorry…Syaoran-hime," Sakura said purposely. Syaoran growled again.

"That's it! You're going down!" Syaoran said as he suddenly began to tickle her unmercifully. Sakura laughed so hard that tears began to form in her eyes. After several minutes of non-stop laughter, Sakura finally waved an imaginary white flag in surrender. Sakura collapsed on the bed into Syaoran's embrace. She noticed that Syaoran had been hugging her a lot since she came to Hong Kong.

"Syaoran…why do you hug me so much?" Sakura said. Syaoran gave a slightly embarrassed look.

"Does it bother you?" he said. Sakura shook her head.

"No. I'm just curious," she said. Syaoran blushed.

"Well…when I hug you…I guess it gives me a sense of security to know that you're actually here with me," Syaoran said. Sakura tilted her head into the pillow cutely.

"Is it that hard to believe?" she said. Syaoran nodded.

"Every guy _dreams_ of being with a girl like you. I just constantly have to test myself to make sure it isn't just a dream," he said. Sakura blushed.

"It's not every day that a guy gets to spend his days with an angel," he said quietly. Sakura blushed even darker. Syaoran widened his eyes slightly when Sakura embraced him in return.

"And it's not every day that I get to spend my days with an angel like you," Sakura said quietly. Lightly, she placed her head against his chest. She smiled at his soft heart beat. However, her mind panicked when she heard his heart beat become slightly irregular. Syaoran suddenly groaned in pain and curled up towards his chest.

"Syaoran? Are you all right?" Sakura said in concern. Syaoran opened his eyes slightly and looked to her.

"I'm…okay…" Syaoran said in between slightly ragged breaths. Sakura's face still showed concern. In his mind, he was very confused. '_I thought that I only felt this pain in my dreams! What's going on?' _Syaoran thought. He then remembered what had happened earlier when he trained. While in the sky, he had felt the same pain. Suddenly, Kohaku jumped onto the bed with Syaoran and Sakura, and the pain gradually faded. Sakura sighed in relief when she hard Syaoran's heart beat go back to normal and his breathing returning to a normal rhythm. She also couldn't help but notice Kohaku's presence. '_It's like he shows up every time when Syaoran's in pain. And every time…it goes away'_ Sakura thought. She thought of it as coincidence until she remembered Eriol's words from earlier.

_"With two spirits, there is technically no balance. The two spirits each have a different balance and have trouble matching. Syaoran-kun's balance is becoming mixed and strange because the two spirits have different limits. This interrupts the system," Eriol said. Everyone finally understood._

_"Then the boy became stronger, and the limits became higher and more imbalanced," Yue said in understanding._

_"Then how did Syaoran remain balanced for so long? He has been using magic since he was four!" Yelan asked._

_"That part confused me. He was balanced for all these years until now. I'm baffled on how that can even be accomplished. It is impossible...unless..." Eriol started._

_"Unless what?" Touya asked. The group nearly jumped from hearing his voice. He had been silent up until that moment._

_"Unless there is something outside that maintains the spirits," Eriol said._

_"Outside?" Sakura asked. She was so confused!_

_"Yes. Perhaps there is something or someone outside that is meant to maintain the two spirits so neither ones takes complete control," said Eriol._

_"If that's the case...then if the balance is breaking now...that means..." Suppi started._

_"...That the powers have become too strong to be controlled by the thing that keeps them balanced," Eriol finished. All eyes in the room widened. _

Sakura looked to Kohaku again with questioning eyes. '_I wonder…?'_ Sakura thought to herself. Syaoran had grabbed her attention before she could think of anything more.

"Is everything all right, Sakura?" he asked. Sakura blinked a few times before nodding.

"Yes. Everything's fine. Are you okay?" she asked. Syaoran nodded.

"I'm fine," he said. Sakura smiled warmly in relief.

"I'm glad," she said. Syaoran looked to his clock on the table next to the bed.

"You should get some sleep. It's pretty late," Syaoran said. Sakura noticed the time and nodded. Slowly, she got into a comfortable position to sleep.

"What about you?" she whispered before closing her eyes. Syaoran smiled.

"I'm just going to stay up a little longer," he said. Sakura gave another concerned look.

"Don't worry. I'll go to sleep soon," he said. Sakura still looked concerned.

"You better. If you don't, then I'm going to kick your butt in the morning," she said. Syaoran laughed.

"Ah! Sweet Sakura is becoming violent!" he said in mock fear. Sakura punched him playfully in the arm before embracing him again and falling asleep. Syaoran watched her nonchalant sleeping form in admiration. She looked so care free when asleep. After all, dreams did not have many fearful things to worry about. Syaoran sighed. He wished he could sleep so peacefully about now. He knew that once he fell asleep, he would be doomed to a horrible nightmare once again. '_But…if Sakura is here with me…how could I possibly have a bad dream?' _Syaoran thought. His hopes were high. Slowly, he returned her embrace and fell into an unpredictable slumber. '_If Sakura is here…I'll be all right. I'm sure I will…'_

With Eriol

Unknown to everyone, Eriol was also still awake this late at night. He had been deep in thought over many things. One thought was about his and Tomoyo's relationship, and the other was about Syaoran's stressful predicament. He wanted to do everything in his power to make Tomoyo happy and help Syaoran through his complicated problem. However, one problem kept adding on to the other. Syaoran's problem was starting to become unsolvable, while he felt he wasn't giving enough attention to Tomoyo. Everyone was asking and relying on him for answers he was not sure he could give. Life was frustrating for Eriol Hiiragizawa.

'_I'm not as strong as Clow…_' Eriol thought sorrowfully. He was happy that he could be his own person other than Clow, but he longed for that great power sometimes.

"Although…Sakura is now the most powerful magician…perhaps she can do something," he whispered to himself.

"No…I KNOW she can do something," he corrected himself with a small smile. '_However…there's possibly not much time left. The half moon rises tomorrow…' _ Eriol thought. Tomorrow was the fated day that had been catching the attention of both Syaoran and Eriol's dreams and visions. He looked to the burnt book in his hands which seemed to hold many, but too few answers. The third line to be restored had not been finished yet. Strangely enough, this line was extra difficult to restore. The third line still read:

_The inheritance emanates an aura of both light and dark, creating an unusual balance in the powers. Although, after several years of carrying the power, the two sources will fight for-_

Eriol was becoming very worried about the meaning of the third line, and he was afraid that he would find out too late.

'_I pray that everything will be all right…'_ he thought. Tomorrow was going to be a long day…

Lilover131: How was that chapter? I updated MUCH faster than last time! I hope you liked the lots of S+S fluff (if you consider it lots)! No kissing yet! Haha. So the next chapter starts the FAITHFUL DAY. What will happen? You'll just have to find out! See you next time!


	36. Voices

Disclaimer: I don't own ccs or the characters! Although, I wish I did!

Lilover131: Hey everybody! I hope you liked the last chapter! The last one was rather laid back and did not have really any conflicts. I wanted them to just relax for a little bit. However, IT WON'T LAST FOR LONG!! MUWHAHAHAHAHA!! Jk (Or AM I?). I'm not letting anyone in on any secrets, and I have the whole thing planned out! Haha. Anyways, here's chapter thirty-six!

**Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Thirty-six: Voices**

Syaoran awoke slowly on his bed. Sakura Kinomoto slept peacefully beside him, and he had almost forgotten their locked embrace through slumber. He had been so interested in Sakura's nonchalant face that he had nearly forgotten his nightmare-less sleep. Syaoran smiled triumphantly. '_Yes! I didn't have a nightmare this time! Does that mean that I changed the future? Was there even a future?'_ he thought. All the thoughts ran through his head like rush hour traffic in a busy city. So many thoughts were moving at the same time, but none of them seemed to be going anywhere. However, despite the pointless thoughts, he felt happy that the nightmare had not shown again. This must have been a good sign! What else could it be?

Syaoran was going to jump out the bed and make breakfast for everyone, but he saw that he could not move with Sakura embracing him so tightly. It was then that he realized how beautiful she looked when she slept. Her small slim body was placed close to Syaoran, and her head was placed against his chest. Her breaths were soft, which Syaoran found adorable for some odd reason. Her hair was a wild mess, but that only promoted his opinion of her beauty and cuteness. Even though he thought she was gorgeous when asleep, he still found her even more admirable when awake. He wanted to see her sparkling emerald eyes open to the glowing golden sunlight shining in his room. Before he even realized what he was doing, he began to lean his face closer to hers. His face was mere millimeters apart from hers when the door suddenly burst open.

"WHERE THE HELL IS MY SISTER, BRAT?" screamed Touya Kinomoto. Syaoran gulped. Sakura and he were on the same bed! Touya would certainly get the wrong idea, and Syaoran knew that he would NEVER listen to him. Before answering, Syaoran quickly jumped out of the bed from Sakura's iron embrace and ran past the door. Once Touya had seen his sister on the bed that Syaoran had just left, he chased after the teenage boy in anger.

"I'LL KILL YOU!!" he screamed behind him. The noise and sudden movement had caused Sakura to awaken sleepily. Her messy hair only complimented her confusion of the situation.

"Wha? What's going on?" Sakura said. Tomoyo, Meilin, and Eriol then came into the room.

"We should be asking _you_ that question," Meilin said.

"What are you doing in Li-kun's room?" Tomoyo asked. Sakura blushed.

"I couldn't sleep…and…" Sakura started.

"Well…at least your clothes are still on," Meilin said. Sakura blushed a deep, deep red.

"You didn't think…? OH MY GOSH, NOOOOO!!! WE ONLY SLEPT _**TOGETHER**_!!" Sakura said in defense. The group laughed in response.

"Relax! We know you guys are not that impulsive. But…it seems your brother has chased my cute little descendant out of the room," Eriol said. Sakura suddenly paled and panicked. Quickly, she jumped off the bed and ran out the door. The group stayed in their place while hearing the distressed screams coming from Sakura's room next door.

"KINOMOTO!! PLEASE LISTEN TO ME!!"

"I'M NOT GONNA LISTEN TO A BRAT!! YOU'RE DEAD!!"

"No, Touya! Leave Syaoran alone!"

"AHHHHH!!!"

"HOEEEEEEE!!"

Soon after the madness

"Syaoran! You shouldn't be cooking us breakfast after what Touya did to you!" Sakura said. Touya had apparently been so angered that he had held Syaoran by his leg over Sakura's balcony.

"No. It's all right. I was going to cook breakfast anyways. Besides, I already know you're brother is stupid and jumps to conclusions," he said sarcastically. Touya glared in anger, which Syaoran equally returned. Sakura sighed. When would they ever get along?

While Syaoran cooked breakfast, the group sat at the table and erupted into conversation. The aroma of Syaoran's good cooking meandered through the air in the kitchen, which left the mouths of everyone dripping with drool. Kero and Suppi flew through the air as if they were becoming drunk just from the wonderful scent of eggs, hashbrowns, and homemade cinnamon buns. Sakura offered to help several times, but Syaoran refused the help every time.

"I'm fine. Just relax and wait," he said. Sakura couldn't help but think that her lover looked adorable in an apron. The apron was not too feminine, but not _too_ manly either. It seemed to fit his personality quite well. However, she also could not help but notice the good mood Syaoran was in. He had a small smile planted on his face all morning.

"You seem happy today," Sakura said. Syaoran gave her a side glance and his smile brightened.

"I slept really well last night," he said. Sakura tilted her head in wonder.

"Oh?" she said. Eriol raised his head from his novel in curiosity as well.

"Yeah. I didn't have any nightmares," Syaoran said. Eriol's eyes widened.

"No nightmares?" he asked. Syaoran nodded. The English boy's eyes held both relief and uncertainty. Though the dreamless sleep sounded like a good sign, there was no way to tell if there was still danger in the near future.

"I hope it's a good sign," Eriol said.

Outside in the Li Garden

Everyone was in the kitchen but Kohaku, who was sitting outside staring into space. The baby wolf cub seemed to be deep in thought, and the wind blew lightly through its silver hair. Today was another beautiful day in Hong Kong. There was rain expected sometime later on. Rain could be seen as a sign of animosity in the eyes of some, but to others it was a cleanser of pain. Kohaku did not know what to think of it right now.

Soon, he began to trot around the garden randomly. Eventually, Kohaku set his sights on a nearby flower and began to play with it. The flower had looked at him a wrong way and needed to be punished (lol. This must sound weird, but its cute, ne?).

However, before he swiped at the flower with his tiny paws, he was lifted in the air by strong arms. The arms grabbed Kohaku by the neck and lifted him high. The wolf cub whimpered upon the choking hold and growled at the attacker. The person who held the small wolf was none other than Naraku.

Naraku glared at Kohaku fiercely with his blood red eyes. His fangs were revealed in an intimidating smirk, and his jet black hair was now shorter due to the recent "hair-cut" by the bodyguard's weapons. His black cloak also looked new. After all, his previous one was destroyed on the hospital rooftop. Naraku's demonic black sword hung by a belt on his side, which his available hand lingered by. Slowly, he pulled the sword out of its sheath and held it to Kohaku's leg.

"Hello, little one," Naraku said evilly. Kohaku growled at him angrily.

"Don't pretend I don't know who you are," he said. Kohaku's amber eyes widened in fear.

"That's right, little one. I know who you really are. Moreover, I know about your purpose." The baby wolf's eyes soon went from fear to anger.

"_Release me," _said a female voice abruptly. Naraku laughed.

"Not before I test something, little one," he said as he began to slice Kohaku's leg with the black blade. The wolf cried in pain and wriggled through Naraku's strong hold on its neck.

Thus the first drop of blood fell to the ground…

With Syaoran and the others

Sakura had somehow found her arms around Syaoran's waist while he was still cooking breakfast. She just couldn't resist how cute he looked! She felt that she could now understand why Meilin hung onto him so much. However, Syaoran seemed to be enjoying the fact that _she_ was the one doing it.

"Sakura…you also seem to be in a good mood," he said. Sakura smiled brightly.

"You weren't the only one who slept great!" she said with a giggle. He returned her smile with one equally as bright.

"So…why were you guys sleeping together?" asked Feimei mischievously. Sakura gave a furious blush.

"Well…we both couldn't sleep and..." she started.

"…And so you thought being together would help you sleep better?" finished Fanren. Sakura blushed even darker before nodding.

"…Right, Syaoran?" Sakura asked as she turned her head back to him. Syaoran didn't respond. His head was lowered and his bangs cast a shadow over his eyes.

"Syaoran?" she asked. He still did not respond. Suddenly, the group heard him whisper to himself.

"Ni shyr shey?" Syaoran whispered in Chinese (He IS Chinese after all. Lol. This is just the pronunciation). The sisters, Meilin, Yelan, and Eriol (Eriol should be able to understand Chinese since Clow's mother was Chinese) looked to Syaoran in surprise. No one else could understand the meaning of his words.

"Syaoran?" Sakura asked. She was confused. What did he just say? She released her hold on his waist. Syaoran had seemed to stop cooking. He simply stood still with his head hanging down and his arms hanging limply by his sides.

Suddenly, his head rose up and he began to walk outside to the garden.

"What the…kid, what's going on with you?" Touya asked.

"Hsin shiey…" Syaoran whispered to himself again. Those who understood had widened their eyes further.

"Syaoran! Where are you going?" Sakura cried out. He looked back to her once before moving on. One second was all Sakura needed to understand his state. His eyes were bright green…but something about them showed no sign of _Syaoran_. Before she could question him any more, he was already out the door.

Outside in the Li garden

Naraku continued to cut Kohaku's leg. Despite the howl's pleading him to stop, he continued. Finally, the demonic person released the wounded baby wolf by harshly dropping it to the ground. Kohaku struggled to stand back up, but he growled in hate towards him.

Naraku's red eyes gazed to the figure who had just stepped outside. There stood Syaoran with blazing green eyes and a calm expression on his features. He first looked to Naraku, then to Kohaku on the ground. His eyes held surprise to see the wolf and he then whispered yet another Chinese word.

"Shiaw mey mey…" said Syaoran. Kohaku was completely stunned. Naraku grinned in satisfaction.

"It appears that I was correct. My little test is over. I'd better leave now before the little wolf comes back to his senses," he said before disappearing. He had left as quickly as he had come.

The others soon arrived outside and Syaoran's eyes returned to their original amber color. Sakura worriedly placed a hand on his shoulder. He nearly gasped after being startled from her touch. He gazed around the garden confused.

"…Wasn't I just in the kitchen?" he said. Eriol's eyes narrowed upon hearing his words. Some of the others were just happy to be able to understand what he was saying again. However, before anyone had time to ask questions, Syaoran ran over to the injured Kohaku.

"Kohaku! So is this where you've been?" he said. His eyes then noticed the bleeding leg.

"You're hurt!"

Sakura rushed to Syaoran's side and placed a hand gently over the wound.

"How did this happen?" she asked.

"I'm not sure…it almost looks like a blade cut his leg…" Syaoran said. Sakura gently picked Kohaku up and smiled to her lover.

"I'll go bandage his leg. You just finish the breakfast. I'll be back down with him in a few minutes," she said. Syaoran sighed before nodding.

"All right. Do you know where the first aid kit is?" he said. Sakura nodded.

"Yes. And if I can't find it, then I'll ask," she said. Within moments, Sakura dispersed from the group with Kohaku in her thin, cradling arms. The group soon followed suit and went back to their normal business. Syaoran ran quickly. If he left the breakfast alone too long, it would burn! Everyone else was either confused, or just forgotten about what had happened.

Eriol's eyes remained focused on Syaoran as he left the Li garden. Something was not right about what had just happened. The look in his eyes…was that really Syaoran?

'_It isn't over yet…_' he thought before slowly walking back into the mansion himself.

With Sakura

"We'll help you bandage him, Sakura-sama!" the bodyguards said as they followed Sakura upstairs. She smiled sweetly to the girls behind her.

"I can manage. Thank you for the offer though," she said before continuing on to the first aid kit. As soon as she had made it to the room with the first aid kit, she prepared to close the door.

"Are you sure you don't want help?" they asked again. Sakura nodded for what seemed to be the thousandth time.

"Yes. I'll be fine!" she said with a smile. Finally, the bodyguards left without further protest…sort of. Once they had left, Sakura slowly closed the door behind her. Kohaku sat limply in her arms and stared blankly with his fiery amber eyes.

After placing the baby wolf on the soft bed of her room, she pulled out the first aid kit she had obtained from the other room. Carefully, she wrapped the bandage and gauze around the wounded leg. The wounds looked so painful that Sakura could almost feel tears coming from her eyes.

"Kohaku…who did this to you? There's no way you could've done this to yourself…" she whispered. Kohaku did not respond. She didn't expect a wolf to respond anyways. Sakura finally decided to speak to him, even if the wolf could not understand it.

"…I know you are not an ordinary wolf cub," she whispered again. His eyes seemed to look into hers curiously.

"Every time you come when Syaoran is in pain…the pain stops. At first I thought…could it just be coincidence?"

Once again, she was given a blank look by the wolf.

"But…" she started.

"Mizuki-sensei once told me that there is no such thing as coincidence…so there must be a reason for it."

Finally, Sakura finished wrapping the limb. The bandage was nicely done and held on to the leg's form tightly. She then looked to the wolf with a very serious gaze.

"Kohaku…who are you?" she asked. Kohaku returned her look of straightforwardness. The wolf cub stood up for a moment and then sat down on the soft sheets again. He could see the look in her eyes. In her emerald eyes, there was a strong light that shone of determination and curiosity.

"_I suppose I should tell you, now that you've become so determined to know,_" said a soft female voice from him. Sakura's emerald orbs widened in shock.

"That voice…is that really you, Kohaku?" she asked quietly. She was so stunned, she could barely speak. A grin almost appeared on the wolf's face from her reaction to the voice. However, seriousness soon reigned again.

"_Yes. I am the one you know as Kohaku. However, I am also someone else you have not yet met." _

Lilover131: CLIFFY!! MUWHAHAHAHAHA!! Lol. How did you like that chapter? I'm sorry it took so long! I just keep taking a long time, huh? I'll try to get the next one up faster! This one took so long, because I had a writer's block. Then, I couldn't choose what order to put some of the events in. lol.


	37. Questions asked and answered

Lilover131: Hey guys! I AM BACK!! Sorry for the long wait! I was grounded from the computer for a while cuz' of my algebra grade. However, now its summer break! I can write much more! Lol. I hope you liked the last chapter! Sakura finally talks to Kohaku! I bet you all have been just as curious as her (at least I hope. That would be the point. Lol). Ah! Today's a special day! IT'S SYAORAN'S BIRTHDAY!! Anyways, with no further delay…here's chapter thirty-seven!

_Last time…_

"_Kohaku…who are you?" she asked. Kohaku returned her look of straightforwardness. The wolf cub stood up for a moment and then sat down on the soft sheets again. He could see the look in her eyes. In her emerald eyes, there was a strong light that shone of determination and curiosity._

_"I suppose I should tell you, now that you've become so determined to know," said a soft female voice from him. Sakura's emerald orbs widened in shock. _

_"That voice…is that really you, Kohaku?" she asked quietly. She was so stunned, she could barely speak. A grin almost appeared on the wolf's face from her reaction to the voice. However, seriousness soon reigned again. _

_"Yes. I am the one you know as Kohaku. However, I am also someone else you have not yet met." _

**Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Thirty-seven: Questions asked and answered**

"…Someone I have not met…?" Sakura said. She was so confused! Since when could Kohaku speak? And what does he mean by 'someone else she has not yet met'?

"_Sakura-san…do you recall having a conversation with Hiiragizawa-kun about the force outside that 'maintains balance' in Syaoran's powers?"_ asked Kohaku…or at least the feminine voice. Sakura nodded.

"_Hiiragizawa-kun's assumption was correct. There is a force outside that maintains it." _Sakura smiled brightly.

"Really? Do you know who maintains it?" Sakura said. Kohaku nodded.

"_The one who upholds the balance…is me,"_ the wolf cub said. She gasped in shock before smiling slightly.

"I had a thought that it might be you," she said. However, something still did not make sense to her.

"What did you mean by you being someone I have not yet met?" she asked. Kohaku's gaze brightened a little.

"_You know me as the male wolf cub named Kohaku. However, in reality I am a feminine spirit named XiaoLian_ (Chinese name meaning "little lotus")," said Kohaku. Sakura's mouth was wide open in surprise (In order to not confuse anyone, remember that Kohaku and XiaoLian are one in the same).

"So you're a girl?" she asked. The voice giggled.

"_Yes. I suppose you could say that."_ Sakura smiled brightly. The expressions soon turned serious once again.

"_Syaoran-sama's in great danger…"_ XiaoLian spoke. Sakura nodded worriedly and continued to listen.

"_My powers cannot keep the two other spirits in control for long...they know I'm here now…" _she said.

"The two spirits know who you are?" she asked. Kohaku's head nodded.

"_Of course they do. After all, they __**are **__my brothers."_ Sakura's eyes widened.

"Why are your brothers' spirits's inside of Syaoran?"

"_That is a very long story meant to be told another day," _she answered. Sakura nodded in understanding. Kohaku gazed out the window sadly before speaking again.

"_Syaoran is beginning to lose control of the spirits within him. You noticed after what happened today, right?_" she asked. Sakura nodded.

"Yes. He seemed out of it and muttered some strange Chinese words," she said.

"And the look in his eyes…it was almost as if…it wasn't even him."

"_That's because it __**wasn't**__ him. The one we saw earlier was one of my older brothers," _said XiaoLian. Kohaku could recall Syaoran saying 'Shiaw Mey Mey', which meant "little sister" in Chinese.

"That was your older brother?" Sakura asked. She was finding out so much information in such a short amount of time!

"_Yes. His name is XianLiang _(Chinese name meaning "worthy brightness")_. He is the spirit responsible for the powers Syaoran has used thus far," _she answered.

"What about your other brother? What of him?"

Kohaku's expression suddenly looked frightened.

_"…He has not yet surfaced…"_

With Syaoran and the others

Syaoran continued to cook breakfast. He had made it back just in time before the food burnt. Strangely enough, he did not even remember walking outside. He remembered Feimei teasing Sakura and him about sleeping together, and then hearing a strange voice.

_Flashback…_

"…_Xiao Lang…"_ said the voice. Obviously, he had been very surprised to hear this voice. Especially considering it didn't look like anyone else had heard it. He suddenly felt dizzy.

"_…Xiao Lang…" _said the voice again. The dizziness blurred his vision, and he felt his head and arms fall limply.

"Who are you?" Syaoran said in Chinese aloud (that's what the first Chinese word meant). There was no answer. And then there was darkness.

When he finally came to, he found himself outside.

_End of flashback…_

'_What was that?' _Syaoran thought in confusion. His mind soon drifted back to finishing the breakfast. He was almost done.

Meanwhile, Eriol eyed Syaoran curiously. He had felt a different aura about him when the strange occurrence happened. He wasn't himself. And those words…

"_Hsin shiey…"_

Eriol knew all too well what that meant. '_Fresh blood…'_ he translated in his mind. Moreover, when Syaoran walked outside, Kohaku was found bleeding with a wound to his leg. Coincidence? He didn't think so.

'_Syaoran also seemed very confused when he went back to normal. Could he be losing control to the spirits possibly within him? But also…once Kohaku was injured, he went into that state. Could Kohaku be…?'_

Eriol suddenly came to a realization.

With Sakura and Kohaku

Sakura gave a confused expression from what she had just heard.

"Not surfaced?" she asked. Kohaku nodded.

"_…He almost did surface at the forest when Naraku kidnapped you. Syaoran was in such rage…my other brother __**thrives**__ on anger. Thank goodness he didn't, though. Otherwise, we would all be dead," _she answered. Sakura's face paled at that answer.

"Is he really that violent?" she asked.

"_More than you know," _XiaoLian said ominouslyShe gulped in response.

"So what can we do to stop Syaoran's balance from shattering?" she asked. Kohaku's expression became troubled.

"_…I don't know…_" she answered shamefully. Sakura sighed and bowed her head low.

"I-I see…"

"_However…I know that if my power fails, then my brothers will certainly cause much damage…to Syaoran…and perhaps even to the entire planet…" _said XiaoLian.

"_And my powers are running low…" _she whispered ever so quietly. Sakura prepared to ask, but Kohaku had changed the subject.

"_-And about those girls…the body guards…"_ she started. However, as soon as she did, the body guards burst into the room.

"BREAKFAST IS READY!!" said the three girls cheerfully. Sakura fell out of her chair in surprise. Ai, Lin, and Shui quickly apologized for the scare.

"We are so sorry, Sakura-sama! We didn't mean to startle you!"

Sakura quickly shook her head.

"No! It's all right. I'm just startled easily," she said with a laugh. Kohaku's irritation from the interruption was quite noticeable. However, they had no choice but to end the conversation at that moment. There was no point in keeping everyone downstairs waiting.

Downstairs

"You took an awfully long time bandaging Kohaku's leg. Was everything all right?" Tomoyo asked Sakura in worry. She nodded. Everyone at the breakfast table had the same question.

"Yes. Everything was fine. I'm sorry I took so long. I was a little picky about getting the bandage just right…" she said. She felt a little guilty lying to everyone, but she didn't think XianLian wanted her secret to be spilled quite yet. Though she thought she had cleared through the question, Eriol was not convinced. He knew that there was more to what she had said.

'_Sakura knows something…_'

Even Syaoran seemed a little hesitating to believe her. Though considering he could trust her with anything, he was fairly quick to accept the lie with no further questioning. Sakura quickly took a bite of the meal that Syaoran had so graciously prepared for them. The taste consequently left a wide grin after swallowing. The food seemed to have the same effect on the others as well.

"Amazing! Syaoran…where on earth did you learn how to cook so well?" Sakura asked. Her emerald eyes emitted a glow of curiosity. Syaoran gave a small smile.

"He learned from his grandmother," Yelan stated. Sakura smiled even brighter.

"Really? Was she a really good cook?" she asked. Yelan was quiet for a moment as she retraced back into her memories.

"Absolutely. She could cook any recipe given to her, and she memorized them all after seeing them once. Not only was she excellent at remembering the recipes, but the taste of her food was unbeatable," Yelan said. She smiled warmly before speaking again.

"…And she still is unbeatable."

Sakura smiled brightly.

"What kind of food did she make?" Sakura asked.

"Oh, she made all kinds of food. Although, her specialty's always involved chocolate. I suppose that's why it's Syaoran's favorite food," Fanren said with a laugh. Syaoran blushed from this comment. Sakura sighed happily.

"I wish I could try some of her desserts," Sakura said. The family's expression suddenly brightened.

"Sakura-chan, would you like to meet her?" Feimei asked. The emerald-eyed girl nodded repetitively.

"I would love to!"

"Syaoran, would you go with her? You haven't seen your grandmother in a while," Yelan asked. Her son merely nodded. It was true that he hadn't seen his grandmother in a while, but he wasn't really looking forward to it. She always teased him about how cute he was, how much he was like his father, and he could not forget her incessant need to hug him. Her personality was almost like a super-sized Meilin (back when they were engaged). Even though he knew the consequences of going, _especially _with a new girlfriend, he had two reasons to see her. The first reason was because Sakura wanted to meet her, and the second was because his life sucked at the moment (because of Naraku) and he needed some chocolate. However, other than the normal 'cute' rants that all grandmothers did, there was also another reason he did _not _want to see her…

"Then it's settled! Li-kun and Sakura-chan shall go see her!" Tomoyo said cheerfully. Sakura blinked.

"You aren't going to go, Tomoyo-chan?" she asked. The violet-eyed girl shook her head.

"I would like to meet her, but I have a little bit of business to take care of here," she said. Sakura only blinked again. It seemed that Meilin and Eriol also answered the same way. Touya was _going _to go (to watch Syaoran), but he was elbowed slightly by Yukito. Even the sister's decided not to go. Why didn't anyone want to go? Since Sakura was a non-questioning person, she did not ask why.

"I guess it's just us then, Syaoran!" Sakura said happily. She actually enjoyed the fact that they would get some alone time. Syaoran blushed a dark pink. The group smiled. The real reason they all bailed was not because of 'business', but it was because they wanted the two to have the alone time they weren't able to have many times before. However, the happiness did not last long.

"We will go too!" said the bodyguards. Sakura could be seen twitching slightly. Why did they have to go with them on every occasion? Didn't they have…well…_lives_?

"…Are you sure? Isn't there something else you'd rather do?" Sakura asked as nicely as she could. She was very good at hiding anger, but she could not hide it from her friends and family. They knew her all too well. To respect Sakura's wishes, they also tried to convince the three girls to stay. They only refused every time.

"Our mission is to stay by Syaoran's side at all times and protect him! We cannot allow him to be anywhere without us," they said in unison. Syaoran sighed. The elders really didn't trust him, did they?

On the way to Syaoran's grandmother's house

Syaoran, Sakura, and the bodyguards walked slowly through the Li territory. Luckily, most of Syaoran's family members lived within this territory. His grandmother was no exception. She and her son Kyo (Syaoran's father) lived in this territory their entire lives. Later, Kyo met Yelan and they fell in love. The two married at a young age, which was common in the clan. Kyo became the Li clan leader shortly after he got married, and it was his duty to have an heir. After having four daughters, they _finally_ had Syaoran. Though they needed a son, they weren't the least bit bothered by all the daughters. In fact, they couldn't get enough of their children. And while the children grew up, Kyo's mother helped take care of every single one of them.

However, what Syaoran found most fascinating about his grandmother was that she never cried. She was always comforting others before herself. She was the most selfless person he knew. Syaoran's family was the most important thing to her. Kyo was all she had left when her husband died of illness at a young age. Syaoran sighed. She seemed so lost when Kyo died.

'_That's why I hardly visit her anymore…'_ Syaoran thought to himself sadly. He was too much like Kyo. He could see the pain in her eyes every time she saw him. Syaoran felt that if he saw her, he would only remind her of what she lost.

'_She's already given so much to this family…I can't bear making her sad_' he thought. Sakura noticed Syaoran's saddened expression.

"Syaoran…are you all right?" she asked in concern. He nodded.

"I'm fine. We're almost there," he said. His grandmother's house was only a block away now.

'_I better get this over with…_' he thought. The moments that passed as he walked to the door of that large house seemed like hours. He hesitated a moment before ringing the door bell. A few seconds later, the door slowly creaked open.

Lilover131: How was that chapter? Once again, sorry it took so long to get it up. HAPPY BIRTHDAY SYAORAN!! Lol. I'll get another chapter up definitely by the 27th. Because…the 27th is the second year anniversary of Cry of a Wolf! Wooohooooo!


	38. Family History

Lilover131: Hi everyone! I hope you all liked the last chapter! OMG, I'M SO SO SORRY FOR MESSING UP ON THE ANNIVERSARY DATE. I read that it said the 27th and posted that on the last chapter. Then, somehow I thought I read it wrong and thought it was the 28th. Stupid me. It WAS the 27th! So I'm really sorry for the day-late chapter! Please don't hate me! I've been so brain dead lately. Lol. Anyways, here's chapter thirty-eight of Cry of a Wolf!

**Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Thirty-eight: Family History**

Slowly, the door of the house creaked open. A figure stood before Syaoran, Sakura, and the bodyguards. As the light from outside illuminated the person, it was revealed to be a woman. The woman appeared fairly old, but not _too_ old. She had straight silver hair down to midneck, and her eyes were a dark shade of blue. She had very few wrinkles in her pale skin and wore white and red robes. She was gorgeous. Sakura could see much kindness in the woman's smile. Her smile only brightened when her eyes drifted to Syaoran.

"Syaoran!!" the woman suddenly cried out as she embraced him tightly. The boy was caught by surprise, and he let out a gasp before muttering out a word.

"G-grandmother…" he said quietly. Sakura's eyes widened in shock.

'_That's Syaoran's grandmother? She seems so young…' _she thought.

"I missed you, Syaoran," the woman said. The boy lightly returned her embrace.

"I missed you too…" he said. It was a few moments later that the hug was broken. Syaoran's grandmother then took notice of Sakura, Ai, Lin, and Shui.

"Ah! You brought guests! Who might these pretty girls be, Syaoran?" she asked. The boy blushed bright red.

"These are my bodyguards, Ai, Lin, and Shui," he said gesturing to the three sisters. And then he gestured to Sakura.

"And this is Sakura…my girlfriend," he said a little hesitantly. The woman's eyes brightened beyond what Sakura thought was possible. Syaoran was suddenly embraced tightly again and swung around like a rag doll.

"Ah! My little Syao finally got a girlfriend! And a cute one too!" Sakura laughed and blushed at the same time. Finally, his grandmother released her smothering hold on him and ushered the group inside the cozy home. Syaoran sighed in relief that he could breathe again before entering the living room of his grandmother's house. Sakura could smell a delicious aroma coming from the kitchen close by, and the other rooms smelled of calming potpourri. The rooms were decorated in dark blue furniture and mahogany wood tables. Antiques and trinkets surrounded the area, and the walls were a light sky blue color to add to the calming effect. A large mirror lie over the fireplace mantelpiece. On the mantelpiece were many candles and family photos. Sakura was utterly fascinated by the home.

"Please make yourself comfortable. I'll be back in a minute with tea and some treats," said Syaoran's grandmother. Syaoran sighed. She may have seemed happy now, but he knew he would see that saddened look sooner or later. Sakura and the bodyguards were quick to sit on the couches, which were more comfortable than the average one. The emerald eyed girl could not help but notice her loved ones nervous look.

"Syaoran, are you all right?" she asked. He nodded.

"I'm all right," he said as he walked around and gazed at the items in the room. Each one brought back memories of the past. These memories lightened his uneasiness little by little.

"You're grandmother is so pretty Xiao-Lang-sama!" said the bodyguards. Syaoran gave a light laugh.

"She is, isn't she? She's always been that way. In fact…she hasn't changed much at all, even upon old age," he said with a smile. Sakura grinned at the happy look he had etched on his face. His grandmother obviously meant a lot to him.

'_I wonder why he had the sad look on his face earlier though…_' Sakura thought. Perhaps she had just imagined things. Sooner than expected, the light smile turned into a small frown again.

'_Or maybe he's hiding his feelings…AGAIN!_' Sakura thought. She'd have to confront him later. Suddenly, something white flew across the room and onto Syaoran's shoulder. He was surprised, but when he looked closer, he saw a small white bird perched on his arm.

"Ah! Xue (Chinese name meaning "snow")!" Syaoran cried out. He smiled when the bird lightly pecked at his cheeks to say hello. Another light laugh emerged from the tickling sensation the pet caused. Sakura smiled at the adorable scene. The bird looked into Syaoran's amber eyes with its tiny black ones.

"It seems that Xue missed you too!" said Syaoran's grandmother as she walked into the room with refreshments. The aroma that had once come from the kitchen now lingered in the living room.

"What's that wonderful smell?" Sakura asked. The woman smiled warmly.

"It's a Western recipe. They are called Brownies," she said. Syaoran's heart beat suddenly rose.

"I smell…chocolate…" he said quietly. Sakura could see his amber eyes glow from excitement. She couldn't help but giggle. His grandmother also laughed.

"I guess I had a feeling you were coming, so I made them especially for you," she said. Syaoran looked to her in surprise.

"..For me?" he asked. He was answered when a plate with a brownie was placed in his hands.

"Now sit and eat," she said. The boy simply blinked at the brownie before willingly sitting down. Plates and tea were handed to everyone before the woman sat down herself. Syaoran took the first bite. The taste was evident due to his wide grin. He did not say a word…he was obviously too busy eating. Sakura took the second bite, which had given off the same effect except for silence.

"Wow! This is so delicious!" Sakura said. The body guards also complimented the chef's skill. Syaoran's grandmother blushed lightly in embarrassment.

"Well, I'm glad you like it!"

Xue stole a crumb off of Syaoran's fork before he could eat it, which left a smile on every face in the room.

"Ah! I nearly forgot to introduce myself! I am Syaoran's grandmother, Li Xueman (Chinese name meaning "snowy grace")," said the woman.

"It's very nice to meet you Li-san!" Sakura said politely. Xueman laughed.

"Syaoran, you have such polite girlfriend!" she said. The couple blushed.

"Where did the two of you meet?" she asked. Syaoran took one more bite of his chocolate brownie before answering.

"We met in Japan," he said. Xueman's eyes widened slightly.

"You went to Japan to capture the Clow Cards, right?" she asked him. Syaoran nodded.

"So this is the famous Card Mistress," she said. Sakura blushed even more before nodding.

"H-how did you know she was the Card Mistress?" Syaoran asked. He had never told his grandmother about anything that happened in Japan. At least not yet…

"Your mother told me all about it," she said with a giggle. Syaoran blushed even more, if possible, and turned his face away to hide his embarrassment.

"Haha! You really are like your father, you know? He would always get so shy whenever I talked about him and girls," she said. Syaoran became calmer before he looked to his grandmother. She had a slightly saddened look on her face that soon turned into a smile again.

'_There it was…that sad look. I knew coming here would only make her sad_' he thought. Sakura took notice of the moment, and she also noticed Syaoran's uncomfortable expression.

"You know…your grandfather and I met in Japan too," Xueman said. Her grandson then looked to her in curiosity.

"Really?" he said. She nodded.

"We were both studying abroad. We first met when I caught him practicing magic in a forested area," she said. Her mind seemed to drift to the past.

"He was so surprised when he saw my magic too," she said with a laugh. Sakura's eyes widened.

"You have magic too?" she asked. Xueman nodded.

"It's not much…but it does come in handy. Syaoran's grandfather was quite the magician though. After all, he had some big shoes to fill to become the Li clan leader."

"Really? Was he really that strong?" Sakura asked.

"Oh, he was as strong as they come. However, he didn't use his powers very often. He said they were dangerous…" she said. It was then that Sakura had a déjà vu moment.

'_Where have I heard this before?_' Sakura thought. Suddenly, it came to her. Yelan had said the same thing on the hospital rooftop.

_Flashback…_

"_Is the curse…what's giving him these powers?" Sakura asked. Eriol shook his head._

"_I think I may have figured out what it is," Yelan said, grabbing everyone's attention. Eriol looked surprised._

"_You know what this is?"_

"_The reason he didn't realize it was there…I think that these powers are an inheritance," Yelan said. Eriol eyebrows rose slightly._

"_That is quite possible."_

"_Although, WHO did he inherit it from?" Eriol asked. The four sisters suddenly gasped._

"_You don't mean…" they started. Yelan nodded._

"_Your father…"Yelan said._

"_I should have recognized it right away from the day Naraku showed up. He once had these powers. Although, he never did use them that often. He said that they were 'dangerous' to others," Yelan said._

"_He didn't use them on the day Naraku showed up…because he no longer had it. It must have been passed on to Syaoran, which would explain what happened that day with him."_

_End of Flashback…_

'_So Syaoran's grandfather had it, then his father, and now Syaoran?' _ Sakura thought as she gazed at her boyfriend. He didn't seem all that effected from his grandmother's words. She wasn't very surprised. After all, he had been unconscious when the inheritance conversation happened. However, he did seem even more curious suddenly.

"So what happened next?" Sakura asked. Xueman laughed.

"We got married and had our son, who also did the same," she said.

"What happened to your husband?" Sakura asked. The woman gave a slightly saddened look.

"He died of illness. But he was happy till the very end…" she said. The emerald eyed girl smiled.

"I'm sure he was. You have such a wonderful family," she said. Xueman gave a very warm smile to the teenage girl.

"Thank You…"

Back at the Li mansion

Eriol was once again in the Li library restoring the once damaged book. This last line was taking an extra long time to restore.

"Dammit! It's almost like it doesn't want me to read the line!" Eriol yelled in frustration. That last word was precious to the meaning of the line. This one word could possibly tell him exactly what Syaoran was in for. However, the magic could simply not restore it.

'_Perhaps there is some kind of magic keeping me from restoring it?_' he thought. He recalled feeling a strange magic aura on it when he first found it.

"Could this magic aura be trying to restrain information about the inheritance?" Eriol whispered quietly to himself.

"_You are correct," _said a feminine voice. Eriol turned around to meet Kohaku a few feet away.

"Kohaku?" he said a little confused. A few moments later, he grinned.

"I figured there was something more about you. You're the balance maintainer, are you not?" he asked. Kohaku nodded.

"_Yes. I figured you had already found me out_," said XiaoLian.

"And Sakura knows too?"

"_Yes. You are quite bright, aren't you?_"

Eriol laughed.

"I suppose I am. I have more than a lifetime of experience," he said. XiaoLian giggled lightly.

"_You are just like Kyo said…_"

This seemed to catch Eriol's attention.

"You are working with Syaoran's father?" he asked. Kohaku's nodded.

"_He is concerned for his son. After all, he knows this curse the best_."

Eriol became confused.

"Curse? But I thought this was an inheritance…" Eriol said. Kohaku then looked to the book he had been restoring.

"_No…this is not a biological inheritance_," she said.

"_No matter who it is…the Li clan heir will always be the one to obtain the curse_."

"If it is not an inheritance, then why does this book and Kyo say it is? If Kyo knows it the best…" Eriol started.

"_The book misguides you into believing it is just genetic. You can't fight genetics, right? This a method used to keep the curse from being broken_," XiaoLian said.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"_Well, if you think that it's something that can't be helped, then that would prevent someone from finding the right cure for the curse. They would be heading in the wrong direction_."

"And what Kyo said?" Eriol asked. Why would Kyo say it was an inheritance if he knew it wasn't?

"_Kyo did not want to get you involved. With such enemies around, he was not sure if you could be trusted quite yet. However, lately he has seen your great attempts to help Syaoran and recognized your usefulness. Therefore, I am allowed to give you this information_," she said. Eriol laughed.

"He's quite cautious, isn't he?"

"When _the sake of his son and possibly countless other lives are on the line, I think I can understand his reason to be careful_," XiaoLian said in a serious tone. Eriol's azure eyes widened.

"…What can we do?" he asked. Kohaku's head lowered.

"_I'm not quite sure. Syaoran's curse activated at such a young age. With that many emotions roaming in his body, having the curse active is incredibly dangerous. I have to use all my strength just to keep them stable enough to be fought. Once I run out of power…_" she started. Eriol gulped. He had a bad feeling about what would happen if the balance broke. Then again, he already knew. That in itself was enough to worry.

"_Until we find a cure…no matter what…we __**must**__ not let those spirits get control!_"

Lilover131: There we go! Finally done! I hoped you liked that chapter! I'm SOOOO sorry for the confusion about the anniversary. I still can't believe I messed up on dates that much! Argh! Anyways, I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can! Until then!


	39. Plan B

Lilover131: Hey everyone! I'm back! I hoped you liked the last chapter! Sorry for the confusion of the anniversary day. I feel so silly for messing that up so badly. Lol. Thank you all so much for helping me reach my goal of 300 reviews!! You guys are awesome! My new goal is 350 now. Let's see how far this story goes! Anyways, here's chapter thirty-nine! Enjoy!

**Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Thirty-nine: Plan B**

Eriol stood in complete silence for a moment after hearing what Kohaku had just said.

"So the curse we're dealing with is that dangerous, huh? I figured. But…one thing I can't figure out…why doesn't Yelan seem aware of this?" Eriol asked.

"_Yelan is Kyo's wife. Of course he wouldn't want her to get involved. She was told about it briefly, if you recall her telling you, but she does not know that it's a curse nor the consequences of having it," _XiaoLian said.

"The consequences…what exactly will happen to Syaoran?" he asked. The wolf lowered its head.

"_Do you remember that pain Syaoran had in his chest?_" XiaoLian asked. Eriol nodded.

"_…What will happen to Syaoran will be far worse than that." _

Eriol's gaze saddened before he looked back up with determination.

"…Then I will help you stop it. What can I do?"

Back at Xueman's house

It did not take much time for everyone in the house to finish their brownie. Syaoran was the first to finish, but that was not because of his great love for chocolate. Xue kept nibbling on his brownie, so he only really got to eat three-quarter's of it. Despite not getting an entire brownie, he was not at all disappointed. The taste left him feeling right at home like he did many years ago. The uneasiness he had still did not leave, but at least he could speak without feeling like a complete burden to his grandmother.

Xueman went around the room and collected the empty plates. Each person thanked her in return or offered to help. The woman claimed she didn't need any help, especially not from guests, and that they should wait quietly for her quick return. It was only a few minutes later that she came back and the conversation resumed.

"So Sakura-chan, how long have you and Syaoran been dating?" she asked. The couple blushed more than they could count today, and this had been yet another one out of…a million?

"Well…we've been dating for a while now…though it has been hard living in different countries," Sakura answered. Syaoran noticed the slight sad expression she wore. They called and wrote letters to each other often, but that was hardly considered an active relationship. It was only long distance.

"So now you're visiting?" Xueman asked. Sakura nodded.

"Yes. I sort of…missed him…so…" Sakura said rather quietly. Her embarrassment was evident. The woman laughed in entertainment.

"You don't need to be so shy Sakura-chan! I won't bite!" she said. The young girls' blush only darknened.

"Since we met Sakura-sama, she has always been like that," said the three bodyguards. Everyone was slightly surprised to hear them speak after they had been silent for so long.

"We've only known her for a few days, but she has proven herself to be a very kind person," said the girls with a smile. Sakura widened her emerald eyes a bit. She was fairly touched from their compliment. Xueman smiled as well.

"So what does Syaoran need such cute bodyguards for?" the woman asked. The bodyguards, unlike Sakura, did not blush. Instead, they had adorable grins planted on their faces as if to enhance the answer.

"The elder's have asked us to help protect Syaoran from the horrible Naraku!" said the girls. At that moment, Xueman nearly dropped her tea. Her eyes were wide in fear.

"…Naraku?"

Back at the Li Library

Eriol and XiaoLian spoke for a while about the curse. Combining all the information they had gained proved useful to the research and gave them more hope for the future.  
"So…this is what we know so far…" Eriol started.

"It's a curse. It affects only the Li clan heir. The curse consists of two spirits, one of light and one of dark, who want control of Syaoran. The spirit's mess up the balance, which means Syaoran does not have complete control of them. And if _they_ gain control, which would be after your power runs out, there would be chaos."

The wolf form of Kohaku nodded. They both began to think.

"Isn't there a way to remove one of the spirits so that he becomes balanced?" Eriol asked. Kohaku shook his head.

"_My brother's spirits are bound together. They cannot be separated. Moreover, they are both deeply embedded in Syaoran's heart, which is why they are activated by his emotions. The only way to remove them is by removing his heart as well," _XiaoLian said. Eriol paled.

"We can't do that. The human heart (not the physical one) contains the emotions and memories of the holder. If we took that…"

"_…Syaoran would fall into a coma and die," _XiaoLian finished. Her words were harshly stated, but true. The heart was too important to life.

"A body without a heart is just an empty shell," Eriol said (YES! A QUOTE FROM TSUBASA!).

"…Who ever created this curse was quite crafty, huh?" the young mage said in frustration.

_"…Quite…"_ XiaoLian said in sadness. An awkward silence fell upon the two. Eriol decided not to ask about it, considering XiaoLian didn't seem ready to talk about it. Was it too painful a memory?

"…It seems we'll just need a plan B," he said before continuing his research.

At Xueman's house

Xueman stared in disbelief at what she had just heard.

"Syaoran…why didn't you tell me Naraku has returned?" she asked. The boy hung his head in shame.

"…I…I didn't want to worry you…" was all he could manage to mutter out.

"Is he responsible for the murder of the head elders?" she asked. Syaoran nodded grimly.

"Yes…"

Silence rested among the group for another few seconds.

"…That man…killed Kyo…I won't let him get you as well," said Xueman seriously. Syaoran's eyes shone in concern when he saw his grandmother almost tear up. Before she could be saddened any further by the painful memories of Kyo, Xue flew to her aid and landed on her shoulder. The bird playfully and gently pecked at her neck in comfort. The sad expressions soon left, and they were replaced with small smiles. Suddenly, the bodyguard's heads all rose together in alarm. Sakura noticed their sudden serious faces.

"What is it?" she asked. The girls nearly shook their heads before quickly rising form their seats.

"Nothing. We should get going. We have some important business to attend to," said Ai. When they began to leave after bowing respectfully to Xueman for her kindness, Sakura found herself completely dumbstruck. They were actually leaving Syaoran's side for a little while? They were always following him like moths to a light! What was so important that they had to momentarily abandon their duty?

"Thank you very much for the wonderful food. Good afternoon."

Seconds later, they were gone. However, they had not gone far. The three stood by a large tree nearby in silence with maintained expressions.

"Master Naraku…you called for us?" the girls said in unison.

"Yes…" echoed a voice from the top of the tree. Naraku's dark figure dropped from the tree to the ground with a soundless thud. The area seemed to darken just from his presence. The girls then bowed low in respect for their creator.

"You have done well so far. Thanks to your research, I have found the source of the barrier around the spirits," he said with a dark ominous voice. The bodyguards rose their heads slightly.

"The wolf cub, right? It seems to be abnormal and it constantly follows the heir," they said.

"Yes. The wolf cub is the spirit's younger sister. She has placed a barrier around the spirit's to protect them from me. I can't obtain the powers if I kill the boy now," he said.

"Is that why you have been hesitating?" Lin asked in a respectful tone.

"…Yes. That, and…that blasted successor of Clow…"

A moment of silence passed upon them.

"I've been trying to drive the spirit's to releasing themselves, but to no avail. The boy's dark spirit empowers itself by anger. If I were to anger the boy enough, it might be too much for the balance maintainer to handle…the barrier would break and I could receive my prize. However, his friends and family have made even getting close a difficult task…"

"Clow's successor has asked the boy to restrain from using magic until the end of today," the girl's stated.

"I know. That makes releasing the spirits even more difficult. When he doesn't use the magic, it becomes easier for the sister spirit to control. Thus, it becomes harder for _me_ to get them out," he replied. A look of irritation crossed his face….which soon turned to a sly grin.

"…But I have a plan B."

Back at the Li Library

"What should we do about Naraku? He seems desperate to obtain the spirits…but for what purpose? If it's a curse, then what use does he have for them? Wouldn't that hurt him?" Eriol asked XiaoLian. The wolf cub form lowered its head.

"_He wishes to avenge something that happened many years ago…when he was still alive…"_ she said before stopping.

"…When Clow Reed fought him many years ago, he was not alive. In fact, he wasn't even human."

"_In order to obtain his revenge, he even gave up his humanity…in other words…his soul," _said XiaoLian. Eriol remained silent.

"_Clow Reed sealed him away in hell after he attempted to destroy the Li clan, or what was his mother's side of the family was at the time. However, as you know, he broke free 10 years ago."_

"…And when he escaped…why did his goal change from enslaving the Li clan to obtaining the spirits?" Eriol asked. XiaoLian took several seconds of silence before answering.

"_I'm not sure how he even found out about me and the curse…" _

Eriol rubbed him temples in frustration.

"…And when he broke free several years ago…he killed Kyo…" Eriol started. The spirit's wolf form nodded.

"_Yes. He didn't know that Kyo had already had a son and passed it on to him. By the time he had figured it out, Kyo was dead and used his last remaining strength to protect his family," _she said.

"…And that protection died out a few days ago, right? That's when Naraku began his attacks," Eriol asked. XiaoLian nodded.

"…Well…since he knows about you now, I wonder what he plans to do?"

At Xueman's house

"Are you tired Syaoran?" Xueman asked. The boy had been rubbing at his eyes for quite a bit after the bodyguards left. Not to mention every time he spoke, his voice seemed to be getting quieter. Syaoran gave a rather weak smile.

"…Not really…I'm only a little bit tired," he said. His grandmother did not seem to believe him.

"…Maybe you should rest…you've been awfully tired lately," Sakura suggested. Syaoran shook his head in protest.

"No. Resting here would be rude. Especially when _I'm_ the one visiting," he said. Xueman could only watch her grandson in sadness.

"Have you been tired a lot lately? Are you eating properly?" his grandmother asked in concern. The boy nodded.

"I'm fine…really," he assured. Xueman felt like she had had this same concern for her husband and son before. And now it seemed that her grandson had inherited the same stubbornness that did not allow concern.

"…" she was about to speak, but she found no words would come out. All she could do was embrace him. Syaoran looked rather surprised, but he didn't say anything.

"…I really am glad to see you, Syaoran. Just understand that if you ever need anything, I am here, all right?" she said.

"…Right…" was all he said. Xueman then released her hold on the boy and turned to Sakura.

"That means the same for you too, Sakura-chan! If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask me!" she said. Sakura smiled brightly.

"Thank you so much!"

The white haired woman began to walk elegantly towards another room before turning to the two teenagers.

"Would you follow me? There is something I wish to show you."

In the Li library

Eriol and XiaoLian continued to brainstorm. They had a lot of information, but none of it really helped them to understand how to stop it. It seemed to the only thing they could do was subdue it. And XiaoLian could not do that for much longer. Naraku was also proving to be a big problem. Curse his timing! Although, it was safe to say that everything was all right until he showed up. Syaoran's emotions were in a mess lately. It's not easy when bad memories are constantly brought up. Kyo was very important to the boy, and it was heartbreaking that his precious relationship with his father had to be cut so short in his life. However, with the influence of his sisters, Yelan, and Sakura, he was able to mostly get over that deep emotional pain in his heart. Naraku was simply digging at the leftover scars.

Finally, the silent thoughts were broken.

"….There must be a way to save him…" Eriol whispered in frustration. Then, a voice suddenly was heard in the room.

"Save who?" asked the figure as it walked slowly towards the two. It was Yelan. Eriol did not answer.

"I believe you have been keeping something important from me, Hiiragizawa-sama. Please tell me."

Eriol now had to make a choice. Should he tell Yelan? Little did any of them know that they were being watched by three figures in the shadows.

Lilover131: Sorry it took so long! I've been unbelievably bushy lately and I've been having major problems at home. Please forgive me for my late updates! I'll really try to write faster! Anyways, until then! Bye!


	40. Fear

Lilover131: Hi everyone! Here's chapter forty! Enjoy!

**Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Forty: Fear**

Eriol was now forced to make a difficult choice. Should he tell Yelan about XiaoLian and the curse? Since Syaoran was the one in danger, didn't she as his mother deserve to know? This could be true, but telling her would be going against Kyo's wishes by getting her involved.

"Well? Are you going to tell me what's going on?" Yelan asked in rather demanding tone. Even the reincarnation of her ancestor could be disrespected if she thought Syaoran was in danger. Eriol lowered his head and his eyes were covered by a shadow.

"…I can't…" he said. Honestly, Eriol did not want Yelan to get involved either.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because I promised Kyo I wouldn't get you involved…" he said. Yelan's eyes narrowed.

"Is Syaoran in danger?" she asked suddenly even more curious than before. Eriol's head rose and a determined look was etched on his features.

"Syaoran will be fine. I promise you that," he answered. Yelan still seemed curious. Suddenly, a voice rang through the room.

"Oh, sure. The little wolf will be just fine…after he _**dies**_."

Eriol, XiaoLian, and Yelan all gazed in the direction where the voice had originated.

"Who's there?!" yelled Eriol. He could sense an evil aura within the library. It felt almost like….Naraku. However, the three were greatly surprised when three others entered. The people who stood before them were none other than Ai, Lin, and Shui.

"What? What are you three doing here? Aren't you supposed to be with Syaoran-kun?" Eriol asked. The three bodyguards laughed.

"The plans have changed. Master Naraku has ordered us to eliminate you and the balance maintainer," said Ai. Eriol's eyes widened.

"Master…Naraku? You work for Naraku?" he asked. Kohaku's wolf form growled. The girl's eyes all turned blood red and their nails grew longer and sharper. The group barely had time to react when the demonic girls began their attack. They moved very quickly and professionally. Unfortunately, Eriol did not have much fighting experience, and XiaoLian had none at all. All they could do was dodge. Yelan's eyes showed much confusion.

"What in the world? What's going on here?" she cried out. Ai, Lin, and Shui continued to swipe at Eriol and XiaoLian with their knife-like nails. Reality had really sunk in for Yelan when Lin managed to skim Eriol's arm. Blood slowly oozed out of the fresh wound and the red liquid dripped off of the demonic girl's nails. She licked the blood off with a grin.

"Delicious. Even more so than those elder's," she said. The English boy's eyes widened and then narrowed with anger. Within seconds, the demon began her attack again.

At Xueman's house

"So this is what you wanted to show us?" Syaoran asked his grandmother. The boy wore pure white colored robes trimmed in gold and green. They were much like his Clow Card fighting ceremonial robes, only with some minor differences. This robe came without a hat and the collar was more like the traditional Chinese ones. Xueman smiled.

"Yes. Your grandfather used to love this outfit. You look as adorable in it as he did!" she said. Syaoran blushed in embarrassment.

"Wow! Syaoran looks cute!" said an excited voice from the mini dressing room. Sakura stepped out from behind the curtain with a smile. The boy could not help but blush a bright red hue after her comment and outfit. Sakura wore an outfit that was much like the one she had worn the first time she visited Syaoran's house all those years ago. The color was also white like his with gold trimming and pink instead of green. She wore her hair up in her usual small pigtails with bells attached to the ribbons.

"…Beautiful…" was all Syaoran could manage to whisper out. Sakura blushed when she noticed her beloved's reaction to her outfit. Little Xue landed on the girl's head and began to peck at the bells in her hair. Syaoran felt himself drawn to the objects himself. He giggled a little when the light sound reacted to his playing.

"There's something about bells that the men in this family seem to like, huh?" said Xueman. Her grandson only smiled.

"There's just something about them that makes me feel somewhat…nostalgic," he said in a soft tone. He almost seemed to be in a trance while playing with the bells. Sakura couldn't help but laugh. He was drawn to the bells like a cat to yarn. It was truly an adorable sight. Also, the thought of him being so close to her made her heart beat faster. Her beating continued until Xueman began to speak again.

"I would like you two to have these," she said. The couple's eyes widened.

"…But...! We couldn't possibly…" they said together. The blue-eyed woman shook her head.

"Nonsense! I think your grandfather would want you and Sakura to have these," she said. The two try to protest further, but Xueman would not take 'no' for an answer. Eventually, they accepted after thanking her several times. Suddenly, the sound of a clock rang. They all looked towards the direction of the clock in the room and noticed that it was getting quite late. It would soon be night.

"…We should probably get going home soon," Syaoran said. Sakura nodded. Xueman smiled.

"I understand. Your mother worries when you arrive home past daylight, doesn't she?" she said with a laugh. The boy laughed in return.

"She worries too much, but she's only being a concerned mother," he said. His grandmother smirked.

"I used to be the same way. Anyways, tell your mother I said hello," she said. Syaoran nodded. A few minutes later, Sakura and Syaoran made their way out the front door.

"Come visit again sometime soon!" said Xueman as they walked away. The couple waved back.

"We will!" said Sakura. The blue-eyed woman then closed the door behind her. The two adolescents looked to the horizon of the Victoria Harbor. The lights of the city were not yet lit. The sky began to turn an orange color, and Syaoran looked to Sakura with a smile.

"The sun hasn't set yet. Would you like to go for a walk?" he said. The girl happily accepted. They hadn't gotten much time alone together since the bodyguards came along. Syaoran took hold of Sakura's hand and began to lead the way.

At the Li Library

Yelan's eyes widened at the sight before her. Ai, Lin, and Shui were attacking Eriol and Kohaku without stopping. Eriol was covered in minor scratches, and Kohaku seemed unharmed from avoiding all the attacks. The little wolf cub was running and hiding in every area of the library. XiaoLian knew that she couldn't afford to be injured, even if it was just a scratch. Any wound would affect Syaoran. Ai was tracking the cub down like a predator to prey. In a sense…XiaoLian _was _prey.

"Here wolfy, wolfy. Come on out to play…" said Ai in an eerie tone. Yelan was very confused. Why were the bodyguards attacking them? She had no more time to think when Shui suddenly walked up to her. Yelan pulled out her fan in defense.

"Do you intend to fight me?" Shui said with a laugh. The older woman glared.

"I don't know exactly what's going on here, but if you truly have murdered the elders and are working for Naraku…then I must," she said. Shui grinned evilly.

"Master Naraku also told us to eliminate anyone who tries to interfere. Are you prepared for death?" she said. Yelan did not respond. Instead, her fan began to glow and within seconds, a large gust of wind attempted to whisk the demon girl off her feet. She was about to be slammed harshly against a bookshelf, but she expertly bounced off and darted towards the woman. Yelan chanted an incantation, which caused her fan to glow red. Shui seemed surprised when flames suddenly erupted from the fan. She was quickly engulfed within the fiery heat wave.

Meanwhile, Eriol finally bought enough time to release his staff. It took even more time for him to actually chant a spell.

"Homura no Hikari! (Flame of Light)" he yelled. A bright light shone out of the top of his staff, and Lin screamed in agony. The light had affected her dark black aura. The girl growled in anger.

"Two can play at that game!" she said. Her hands rose in the air and a ball of darkness formed in between them.

"Nami no Yami! (Wave of Darkness)" she cried out. The dark mass was sent spiraling in Eriol's direction, and he was barely able to block it with his staff. As the dark magic meandered around him, he felt sick to his stomach. This darkness was truly pure and sickening. He was not spared a moment to recover from the nausea as Lin began her attack again.

"You cannot defeat me, reincarnation of Clow," said the girl with a grin. Eriol glared at her with loathing in his features.

"I will not let you win."

With Sakura and Syaoran

The couple walked around the Li clan grounds slowly and casually. It was nice that they could manage some time alone together after everything. Though Sakura still couldn't help but wonder why the bodyguards had gotten and left so quickly. Whatever the reason, it must have been important. And as selfish as it may have seemed, she really didn't care. Recently, she felt very possessive of Syaoran. She didn't want anyone else to have him; not even those protecting him. Sakura had even felt slightly jealous with Syaoran's grandmother holding him so tightly. She giggled at the thought.

The two had remained silent for quite a bit of time, so she decided to say the icebreaker.

"Your grandmother is so beautiful, Syaoran," she said. Syaoran smiled.

"She is, isn't she…" he muttered.

"I couldn't believe how good her cooking was too! It was amazing! Did you really learn how to cook from her?" she asked. He nodded.

"I've never been able to reach _that _kind of potential, but I think I cook well enough to make something edible," Syaoran said with a laugh. Sakura almost frowned.

"You don't give yourself enough credit. That breakfast this morning was _incredible_ compared to anything I've made," she said.

"Now _you're _not giving yourself enough credit. I've eaten your cooking before, and I found nothing wrong with it. It was delicious," he stated. He had said that in tone that left no room for debate. Sakura blushed in defeat.

"…Thanks…"

Suddenly, the two came to a halt. They stared ahead with widened eyes. What lie before them was the same forest that Sakura had been taken to by Naraku before. Syaoran was surprised when he realized that this forest, or simply a mass of trees, was actually in the center of the Li clan grounds. He hadn't noticed before because it was so dark out. Not to mention he was too focused on rescuing Sakura to observe it properly.

'_Why would Naraku go to the center of the Li clan grounds?_' he thought to himself. It just didn't make sense! Maybe he wanted to be closer to the Li clan during his plans? Syaoran wondered if Naraku was actually staying there. To ease his curiosity, he began to enter the forest.

Sakura began to follow the boy without much of a thought. She didn't realize what forest it was, because she had only woken up in the middle of it. She couldn't recognize it from the entrance. The next few minutes were silent. Neither of them said anything until they reached the clearing they had once been to before. Syaoran looked around for Naraku, but he did not sense him around anywhere.

"This is…" Sakura whispered. She now realized where they were. Syaoran sighed and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"It's all right. He's not here."

Sakura was relieved as well. After a few moments, the two looked to the sky. Night was now rising, and the half moon revealed itself. Syaoran nearly paled at seeing the moon. All his nightmares had shown the half moon. '_And I was in this very clearing…'_ he thought. Sakura was smiling at the many stars in the sky. There were less city lights touching this area, so more stars could be seen. This made him smile. He didn't have a nightmare last night, so perhaps everything would be all right. He imagined Sakura saying her invincible spell

_"I'm sure I'll be all right." _

'_It worked for her…so I'll believe in it too'_ he thought. For a while, the two rested on the grass and gazed at the stars. Syaoran figured being a little late getting home would not be so bad. It would be worth it if he could stay with Sakura like this a little longer.

"Syaoran?" Sakura asked. The boy seemed to be in deep thought. Her words had quickly snapped him out of it.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked. Syaoran found her curiosity quite adorable.

"It's nothing really…" he started. However, he remembered words that Sakura had spoken to him last time he held his pain inside.

_"Syaoran…I don't want you to hide your pain from me…please…just please tell me about your hardships when you need to. I already can't do much for you…so…at least let me worry about you!"_

After a deep sigh, he began to tell the rest of his story to her.

"…I'm scared," he suddenly stated. Sakura seemed shocked from hearing this. Not only was he actually telling her his feelings for once, but he was actually _scared_? She had never thought that it could be possible for him to feel fear. He had always been so brave. Though she was shocked, she was more concerned about _what _exactly he was afraid of.

"I'm scared of losing everyone I care about. All my nightmares showed me complete destruction, and everyone was screaming. Also, a half moon was always there. And tonight…" Syaoran said before gazing at the half moon illuminated in the sky. Sakura understood his feelings completely. If only she could make these awful dreams of his go away!

In an act of comfort, she leaned up against Syaoran gently and looked directly into his eyes.

"Everything will be all right. I promise you," she said with a determined expression. For a moment, he truly believed her words to be true. They stayed close together in peace…until a voice suddenly echoed throughout the forest.

"_He must die_," said the voice. It sounded abnormal. It lacked the vibrations of average human vocal cords.

"_He must die_," hissed the voice again. They both stood up, and Syaoran seemed to clutch at his scars. He groaned slightly from the pain.

"It's HIM," he said angrily. Sakura nodded, but she couldn't help but think something wasn't right.

"Naraku's presence and voice…they're different…" she said. Syaoran began to notice as well.

"_I will get revenge!_" said Naraku's voice. Before the two could even blink, a black beam shot out from the trees and barely missed them. Syaoran grabbed Sakura's hand quickly and began to run to the exit.

"We need to run! I can't fight back without using my magic! We'll need help!" he said.

As they dashed forward, they could hear a loud rustling of something chasing closely beside them. Sakura gazed to her side and saw a very large and long black shadow within the trees. Syaoran refused to look. He just kept on running and pulling his beloved along. The shadow continued to follow until it finally leapt out at them. The couple ducked just in time to miss the first attack. When the shadow leapt a second time, the moonlight reflected a very large black snake. In fact, it was the size of an oak tree. Its red eyes glowed, and its fangs were bared dangerously. The snake blocked their way out and trapped them in the clearing. With a fierce flick of its back end, it hit the two harshly into the ground. The impact knocked the wind out of them, and they struggled to regain their lost breath. Their minds were jumbled in confusion and pain, and they were not able to react quickly enough for the next attack. The snake was headed in Syaoran's direction with a desire to do much damage.

"Syaoran!" Sakura cried out. It had happened all too fast. Naraku's fangs had sunk deep into Syaoran's left shoulder. He cried out in pain as Naraku held him within the fangs for a few more moments. Sakura got up, despite the pain in doing so, and began to hit the snake as hard as she could with her fists.

"Let go of him!" she yelled angrily. Her frustration and tears grew when her beloved's eyes began to darken. Syaoran's eyes were half lidded and blank, and his body fell limply in Naraku's hold. Sakura thought that perhaps he was okay now that he was free. Moments passed. Minutes passed. She had already lost count of time when every second felt like hours when she waited for some response from him. Tears rolled down her face incessantly, and she nearly stopped breathing when he didn't move.

Lilover131: Dun Dun duuuuuunn! A CLIFFY!! Sorry it took so long again. I am so frickin' lazy sometimes! Anyways, I hoped you liked the chapter. I will do my best to get the next chapter up soon! Until then!


	41. Awakening of an Angel

Finally, the boy was dropped carelessly onto the ground

Lilover131: Hi there! Dangit! I missed Syaoran's birthday and the 3rd year anniversary! But I bring you a new chapter that is almost twice as long as normal, so be joyful! Lol. Just kidding. I hope you enjoy it!

**Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Forty-one: Awakening of an Angel**

The world seemed frozen in place around Sakura Kinomoto. Her beloved, Li Syaoran, had just been bitten by Naraku and was currently not moving. Sakura quickly rushed to him and held him protectively. He was unconscious and bleeding, but it appeared that he was still breathing. Thank _goodness_ he was still breathing! However, he seemed not able to sense anything around him. He could not hear Sakura's voice begging for him to answer her.

Once the girl realized that he would not respond, she glared defiantly at the cause of this occurrence.

"What did you do to him?" she said with a harsh tone. The mouth of Naraku's snake form did not move, but words resounded within her mind.

"_The little beast will not die…yet,"_ he said. Sakura's eyes widened in confusion.

"…what?"

"_I have put a spell on him. He will dream until that spirit is released,"_ Naraku stated. Sakura looked to Syaoran with worried eyes. She recalled hearing XiaoLian talk about the other spirit that resided within him. The other spirit reined the dark power inside of Syaoran, and if he were to be released…there would be dire consequences. Frantically, Sakura tried to wake him up once more.

"Syaoran! Syaoran! Wake up!" she said as she hysterically cried and buried her face in his chest.

"_Give up. He won't wake up,"_ said Naraku. The emerald-eyed girl gazed to him with a look of hatred.

"Maybe he will wake up if I defeat you," she said as she began to pull out her star key. Naraku laughed at her attempt to seem threatening.

"_**You?**__ Defeating __**me**__? Don't make me laugh, witch,"_ he hissed. He began to approach her slowly. His aura was so dark that it affected her. She felt slightly sick. Sakura quickly chanted her incantation.

"RELEASE!!"

Her star key glowed and transformed into a staff. Her cards were prepared for battle. Without wasting a second of time, she pulled out her first attacker.

"FIERY!!" she said. The beautiful fiery spirit whirled in the air and then in Naraku's direction. Sakura had proved her power with fiery before when she was angered. She was able to defrost all of Tomoeda with one swoop when the 'SNOW' card had angered her. Her skill was impressive back then, but would it be enough now to defeat Naraku? The fire seemed to meander around the giant snake as if a barrier was protecting it. Naraku slithered around and tried to surround the girl, but she prepared for the next attack beforehand.

"WINDY!!"

The 'WINDY' card blew him into the surrounding trees with a harsh gust. His large scaly body could barely be lifted by the winds. Angered after his brief recovery, he swept around quickly behind her. He began to head towards the unconscious Syaoran threateningly.

"SHIELD!!" Sakura said as her next card. 'SHIELD' protected the boy and herself from the giant cold-blooded reptile. Even though the shield was up, he attempted to get through to the couple. His attempt was in vain when he only ran into a solid bubble-like force field. Naraku was very angered now that he could not touch any of them and he hissed dangerously. He understood that staying in his snake form would now be wasting magic. Reluctantly, he changed back into his human form. His red eyes were glowing with hatred towards the girl and boy, and his black aura was raging rather violently. Sakura stood in place with her star wand tightly clenched in her hands and emerald eyes shining. However, his aura made her feel even more ill than before. It seemed as if she had changed her mind suddenly about attacking. Was he not worth it? When Naraku realized she wasn't going to attack, he began to speak.

"Why aren't you attacking me? I can't touch either of you," he said. The girl's stance became more relaxed.

"Why are you doing this?" she said. Naraku growled in irritation. An interrogation?

"I don't need to explain anything to you! That spirit must die!" he yelled. Sakura's eyes widened in confusion. Was he angry at the spirit in Syaoran? If so, then why? Suddenly, Naraku's black sword began to form in his hand and he ferociously tried to hack his way through the 'SHIELD' card. All of his attempts were just as much of a failure as his first one, but he continued to try. Sakura could feel the 'SHIELD' card weakening slightly. Of course its power would wear out eventually…especially if he kept a constant attack on it. She had to stop him before then.

"Are you talking about XiaoLian's older brother?" she asked. Red eyes glared once again in her direction.

"What do you know of the spirit?" he asked demandingly. The girl nearly shuddered from the fierceness in his tone.

"I don't know anything more than that," she replied truthfully.

"Then you do not know enough to justify protecting the beast! Withdraw the shield or I shall make you!"

"I won't let you hurt Syaoran! But I do not wish to fight you!" Sakura said. Naraku seized his glares for a moment of surprise.

"You don't want to kill me?"

"No."

"Do I not receive hatred from you?" he asked. Sakura bit her lip before speaking.

"I know. It's even strange to me. But…I pity you. I pity you for your way of thinking. Is revenge the only answer? Why must you hurt people?" she asked. Naraku scowled.

"You do not understand," he said. The emerald-eyed girl gazed at him with pity.

"I remember the last time we fought here…Syaoran wanted revenge on you for killing his father. He was so very angry and upset…but I could sense that he was also very lonely. He was lonely when I first met him too," she said. She was nearly in tears.

"So? Why should I care?" Naraku said. Sakura's eyes filled with more sadness.

"Because I sense the same loneliness from you."

A few moments later, the two couldn't help but notice Syaoran suddenly breaking out in ragged, uneven breaths. His head swung from side to side in discomfort, and thin sheets of sweat began to form on his skin. Naraku grinned evilly.

"The nightmare is beginning."

Syaoran felt the heat of fire all around him. It was everywhere. He took several minutes to open his eyes enough to confirm it. Fire was burning the clearing, and through the smoke he could see the half moon. His ears heard the cracking of the flames, the falling of trees, and the howling of a wolf. Syaoran's eyes traced to the source of the howling. He knew he would see those wolves again. He understood the danger of everything around him…and yet he didn't seem to care. Syaoran raised himself off of the ground and walked towards the howling. He felt as if he didn't have control of his legs. When he came to a halt, he saw the black wolf with blood red eyes. The animal growled ferociously at him and seemed to be clawing at the invisible wall between them. Its teeth were bared dangerously and every impact in took on the wall caused electrical sparks. Syaoran was afraid to be near the wolf, but he couldn't seem to move. The wall was cracking…

Kohaku's head rose in alarm during the fight against the bodyguards. Eriol couldn't help but notice.

"What's wrong?" he asked after he blocked an attack from Lin. Kohaku had come out of hiding and was now staying behind Eriol for protection. It seemed running away was not enough. When XiaoLian spoke, Eriol noticed that her voice sounded somewhat weaker. Whatever she was alarmed about must have been something of great concern.

"…_Something is happening to Syaoran_…" she whispered. Yelan was utterly surprised to hear Kohaku speak. And to say that her only son was in danger…

'_That was the voice I heard after the incident in the clearing…' _she thought. The voice back then had told her not to blame herself for the things that had happened and that she was closer to her than she thought. The voice was Kohaku's? While everyone's eyes seemed to show shock, the bodyguards all grinned in satisfaction.

"The master has finally made his move," they said in unison. Eriol clenched his fists in realization.

"…You were keeping us busy this whole time…so he could make an attack?"

The phrase didn't even sound like a question. It was more like a statement; a question that need not be answered. For a moment, he seized his attacks on the bodyguards. Yelan and Kohaku looked at him questioningly. It was obvious that they were as upset as he was…especially Yelan.

"…We need to get to Syaoran…now," Yelan said. She didn't even care to find answers about what was going on when her son was in danger. Everyone agreed wholeheartedly. Ai, Lin, and Shui laughed.

"How do you expect to do that? We're here to stop you," they said. Yelan glared with her dark brown eyes angrily. Her fan began to glow deep red again. However, something about this spell was different…it was…stronger.

"OUT OF OUR WAY!!" she yelled. Flower petals erupted in all directions. The two opposing groups could not see each other through the mass of the florescent cloud. The purity of the petals was like poison gas to the dark trio. Yelan had decided to use a distraction so the three of them could escape from the library without having to destroy it to get out.

"This way!" Yelan whispered to Eriol and Kohaku. Quickly, the group rushed through the library towards the exit. After they had cleared the building, they searched for Syaoran or Sakura's aura. Since they were together, that meant that Sakura was in danger too. Yelan cringed when she felt her son's aura. It was so…conflicted. She needed to get to him soon. Without a second of hesitation, they ran off towards the clearing. The bodyguards burst out of the library shortly after and began to chase after them with great speed. They were very irritated from the distraction, but a grin still somehow graced their features. They would just have to beat them there…

Sakura clenched the star wand in her hand even tighter as she watched Syaoran suffer through the pain of his nightmare. Her beloved's breathing was still labored and his pain seemed to only get worse. He clutched at his heart, and Sakura found herself doing the same from her concern for him. The shield protecting him was of her own power, and she needed to use the time to try to comfort him in some way. Now that she had the 'SHIELD' up, she could use magic more safely. Even though she was in a good defensive position now, she was saddened that her magic couldn't somehow help Syaoran out of his nightmare. Did she have any cards to help him? She knew he was running out of time. All she could seem to do was hold him. Slowly, her gaze drifted back to Naraku, who had begun to slash at the bubble-like shield again.

"Please stop this," she pleaded through the barrier. The black haired man laughed.

"Why should I?" he said again. His mind was still set on revenge.

"…I know you're lonely…but revenge isn't the answer!" she said. He laughed again.

"…I am not _lonely_!" he said. It was as if it were a joke to him. Sakura's eyes filled with pity once more.

"…But you _are_. I can feel it…your aura…it's so angry…but sad…"

For a moment, Naraku seemed affected by her words. His expression calmed slightly.

"…What happened between you and XiaoLian's brother?" she asked quietly. Naraku was unexpectedly angered greatly by this. She had begun to calm him down, but now he was infuriated again. Sakura then realized that she had hit a sensitive spot too hard. His eyes seemed to seek revenge on a painful memory. She also had realized just how much Naraku wore down the 'SHIELD' card. The magic created by his anger was truly strong and not to be taken lightly. The protection was almost gone now, and it was only seconds away from completely shattering. Sakura had truly underestimated him.

"Stop!" she cried out.

Finally, the protection was gone and turned into a flurry of star-like glitters. His speed was unimaginable. Naraku leapt forward immediately towards Syaoran, but was stopped short by Sakura's body. She had completely covered him as a human shield. His movement had been so fast that she didn't have enough time to react with magic. The man held his black colored sword inches above her head.

"Move. Now," he demanded. Sakura shook her head slowly in refusal.

"I will not," she said. Her voice rang with maturity and strength.

"…Then you will perish," Naraku stated. Her posture did not change, and her eyes turned slightly in his direction. Her emerald orbs shone with the same maturity and strength as her voice, but something about this was different. He could see her absolute willingness to die if necessary for her beloved, her kindness, her pity, her courage, her purity…she was like an angel; a guardian angel. Suddenly, Naraku's fingers shook and weakly let go of the swords in his hand. His expression showed fear, or perhaps shock would have been more appropriate. It was as if he had just seen a ghost.

"Stop! Don't give me that look!" he cried out. Sakura blinked in confusion. In an attempt to break her gaze from him, he slashed at her threateningly near her back with his blade. It was almost like he meant to destroy the invisible wings that were on her back. The sharp tip tore a small line across her shirt but did not touch her skin. The girl gasped sharply from being startled and did not allow herself to show her fear. She was truly petrified by his dark magic and felt too ill and weak to move. However, she knew she had to stay strong. After all, she was protecting Syaoran. She knew this…but she still couldn't move. All she could do was shield him. Naraku saw that she still had the same gaze. Angrily, he went in for the final blow. This one would not be a warning.

"Syaoran…" Sakura whispered in tears.

Syaoran watched as the wall began to crack even further than before. The midnight black wolf clawed urgently. He could not avert his gaze from it or even move. He simply awaited the breaking of the wall and his mysterious fate. However, before the wolf could make any more damage, the snow white wolf with bright green eyes crashed into it. The two wolves began to fight viciously behind the wall with no mercy. When the black wolf had been temporarily distracted by the pain of a scratch in its side, the white wolf gazed to Syaoran with wistful eyes.

"_Go. There is someone waiting for you_," it said. Syaoran's amber eyes widened. That was the voice he heard this morning! He was surprised, though his thoughts soon went back to the words it had spoken. He needed to return to Sakura. Once he had control of his legs again, he ran towards the unknown location of the exit. '_How do I get out?_' he thought with frustration. Suddenly, a light shone brightly in the sky.

"_Syaoran_…"

An angel was calling his name. White wings then sprouted from his back and he flew to the light. That _must_ be where his beloved Sakura was.

Yelan, Kohaku, and Eriol ran as fast as they could in the direction that the auras were leading them. Sakura's soft pink aura seemed to shudder slightly, and Syaoran's was getting more chaotic every second.

"What's wrong with Syaoran?" Yelan asked the others while running. Kohaku gazed in her direction before speaking.

"_The spirits are fighting for control of Syaoran's body…but it feels like XianLang has stopped my other brother…for now..." _XiaoLian said. Eriol widened his eyes in worry.

"Does that mean…" he started. Kohaku nodded.

"_…I can't hold the balance for much longer…it's almost broken…" _she said weakly. She was beginning to feel so tired. She wasn't even sure how much longer she could keep running. The three noticed as they moved that a storm cloud was rolling in ever so slowly. It reminded Yelan of the night that Kyo had died.

"…I won't let Syaoran die!" she suddenly shouted. She didn't want to lose anyone like that ever again. Yelan remembered how devastated Syaoran had been when he lost his father. He wouldn't eat for days, he trained non-stop, and he never smiled. Little by little, he became happier with the help of Sakura and the family. She would be damned to let that happiness be ruined by Naraku. Her mind casually drifted to a sad memory many years ago shortly after Kyo had died…

The memory made her shiver. While they ran, they did not notice the shadows that leaped across the trees above them.

Before the final blow hit Sakura, something unexpected happened. She hadn't expected Syaoran to suddenly wake up and block the attack with his beautiful white wings…but many unexpected things had happened in the last week. The boy had completely pulled her away and then allowed one of his wings to take the full effect of the attack. Blood stained the pure white feathers and Syaoran's now green eyes were shut tightly in pain.

"_Wings are very sensitive things. Once you release them, they become a part of you. So you will feel pain as well. This is a disadvantage in some situations. So you must protect them from being hit."_

He remembered Yue telling him this during his training. However, he did not believe him as much as he did now. The pain was beyond excruciating, and it took everything he had to keep from screaming and falling on top of Sakura. Sakura noticed him shivering in agony, and in some form of comfort, she embraced him from underneath. With difficulty, he managed to mutter a few words.

"…S-sorry…I broke my promise…" he said. He had used his magic by releasing his wings when he promised that he would not. She only tightened her hold on him with love and care.

"It's all right," she whispered. More tears rolled down her face. Sakura was very touched how committed he was to the promise in the first place. For now, she was just so glad he was awake! When the sword was pulled harshly from the wing, he gasped loudly and his wings reacted by folding in towards him and Sakura.

"Are you all right?" Sakura asked him. Syaoran was breathing heavily, but he caressed her face gently. He opened his eyes just enough to look at her.

"I'll be…all right…" he said. It was obvious he was exhausted. After all, the nightmare and bite on his shoulder had done its damage as well. Syaoran could feel the lingering venom in his blood calling him back to slumber, but he did not allow it. The dizziness from the blood loss and the burning of his scars did not help either.

"What? How did you break the spell?" Naraku shouted angrily. Bright green eyes turned to him and glared.

"The white wolf…it helped me escape…" he muttered. The words had barely escaped his lips. He was just so exhausted.

"XianLang…" Naraku said in anger. Sakura recognized that as the name of XiaoLian's brother. This brother was the light side of Syaoran and had been responsible for the magic he had used in the past few days. However, she was also curious as to what the 'white wolf' helped him to escape from.

"…escape from what?" she asked quietly. Syaoran took several more breaths before speaking.

"…The...black wolf…"

Naraku was infuriated at the mention of the other wolf. Instinctively, he slashed the boy in the back again and sliced across both wings. Syaoran cried out in pain and slumped to the ground. He didn't have the energy to lift himself up anymore. Sakura clutched to him in worry.

"SYAORAN! No! Hang in there!" she said as she gently held his limp body. Naraku's black blade dripped with blood from theyoung teenage boy.

"I…promised…that I wouldn't let him…hurt you…ever again…" he said. Tears rolled down Sakura's face in waterfalls. She saw his now green eyes suddenly glow brighter, and a small tornado that formed around them swayed his hair in different directions. Within seconds, the wind had formed a full force wind storm that blew everything around them away. Naraku was blown into a tree that had already seemed close to snapping. With the added force of his body, the tree completely broke and flew into another one. Within the center of the wind storm, Syaoran and Sakura were safe from the deadly gusts. Sakura took the chance to tend to her beloved.

"Syaoran!" she cried in worry. Gently, she reached for his hand and their fingers entwined. The boy took his free hand and wiped away the tears from her face. Sakura helped him to sit up and supported him with her remaining arm. Her tears only continued to flow after gazing at his wounds. '_I was unable to protect him after all…_' she thought sadly. Syaoran's expression changed to concern.

"Sakura…" he whispered.

"…I…I was trying…to protect you…but I was so afraid…I was so afraid that I had already lost you…and now you're awake…but you're hurt even more because of me!" she said in shame.

"…Sakura…but…I'm fine…" he started but winced when he tried to move. Sakura shook her head in denial.

"You are not fine!"

She placed her head against Syaoran's and her bangs pressed against his forehead.

"Why can't I do anything to help him?" she seemed to speak to herself in agony. '_Please let me be able to do __**something**__!'_ She thought. After a moment, she didn't realize that one her tears began to glow. As if in slow motion, the lone tear drop fell and landed on Syaoran's bite wound. He gasped in surprise when he felt a tingling sensation overwhelm him. Sakura was deeply confused when he wrapped his arms around her and brought her into a tight embrace. Then, another tear fell and landed on his wounded wings. When the drops had made contact, a steam-like mist formed as if cold water was poured on hot iron. Syaoran sighed in relief as the wounds began to heal. The relief felt as if he were dying of thirst in a desert and was just given rain. The emerald-eyed girl noticed what was going one once she looked down his back and saw the healing wings.

"Syaoran! You're healing!"

When the wounds were completely gone, he brought his lips close to her ear.

"…My wounds were healed…with _your_ power," he whispered.

Naraku watched from the sidelines while safely avoiding the wind.

"What? She's an angelic sorceress?" he said aloud. Sakura had somehow heard him through the roaring gusts. '_What? What's an angelic sorceress?'_ she thought. Syaoran still had her in his embrace, and he gazed to Naraku through the winds with a half lidded look. Slowly, he released his beloved and stood up. His wings spread out beautifully, and his hand beckoned Sakura to grab it. She was more than willing, and firmly took hold of his hand. With one easy tug, he was able to lift her to her feet. Once she was balanced, he placed his still pale hands on her shoulders. With a serious gaze, he spoke to her.

"Stay here. I'm going to finish this," he said. Sakura's emerald eyes widened. She was shocked because she knew exactly what this meant. He may very well not come back alive. Instinctively, she clung onto him tightly.

"No! I'm not letting you do this alone!" she yelled with her face buried in his chest.

"Sakura…"

He began to remember what she had said before; how he needed to believe in everyone's ability to protect themselves. Now was the time. Lightly, he placed his hands on her face and directed her eyes towards his.

"Then…what should we do?" he asked. Sakura was surprised that he decided to cooperate, but she was also not surprised. With a determined expression she spoke.

"We will work together," she said. Her gaze drifted to Naraku, who was staring angrily at them.

"I sense some sort of loneliness in him, Syaoran. I can't tell what, but…there's such pain in his eyes…" she said. Syaoran believed her, but he felt indifferent towards the man who killed his father. He couldn't care enough to help someone who had hurt everyone around him. Sakura noticed in his expression that he felt this way.

"I think it may have something to do with the spirits inside of you," she said. This was the first time she mentioned the spirits to Syaoran. After all, he had been unconscious during every conversation about it. Syaoran wasn't exactly sure what she was talking about. Spirits? Suddenly, it hit him like a truck. The powers…the wolves…the voices…the imbalance of magic…it was all their doing.

"Does he want something from the black wolf?" he whispered. She nodded.

"It seems he wants to kill him," she said. Sakura remembered how Naraku had said something about a 'spirit needing to die'. Syaoran wasn't quite sure how she seemed to know so much, but at the moment he really didn't care. This whole ordeal just needed to stop. Naraku needed to be stopped in some way. However, before he could even decide what action to take next, a hand managed to reach through the winds of his twister and grab his neck. The pain of Naraku's touch burned Syaoran's scars. Sakura cried out in worry, but she was too late to stop him from being hoisted out of the safety of the twister. Syaoran's body was thrown harshly at one of the nearby trees. As grimaced in pain for a moment, Naraku lunged at him with his sword in hand. Before the blade could touch him, he quickly released his sword and blocked. Syaoran managed to knock the sword away from him long enough to roll away. Once he got safely away, he stood up and ran in for an attack. Naraku blocked every slice that the boy could throw at him. After a few minutes, Syaoran got a clean slice along the red-eyed man's arm. He seemed to not show any sign of pain and continued to fight back. The fight went on for what seemed like forever. Sakura watched painfully from behind the winds. She had to get out of this twister so she could help him! After several minutes, an idea finally came to mind.

"FLY!!" she called out. Beautiful, white feathered wings grew from her back. Her slender legs bent and pushed herself off of the ground into flight. However, as she neared the exit at the top, the winds became too strong and sent her tumbling all the way back down. She mentally cursed and clenched her fist full of grass.

"I have to get out! I have to help Syaoran!" she said. With a determined gaze, she tried again. Every time, she seemed to be pushed back down again. She now stood on the ground again with a great look of frustration.

"Why? Why can't I get through?" she whispered to herself. Suddenly, she heard something in the corners of her mind. It sounded like voices. It took her a few moments to realize where it was coming from…it was coming from the winds…

She could sense rage and panic in the them. They were muttering something about guarding those inside the eye, and it seemed to be fearful when Syaoran was suddenly tugged outside of its protection. The winds had become stronger so she wouldn't be touched. It seemed that the twister had formed in order to protect the both of them. Syaoran's feelings were also in his magic. The winds were intent on keeping her safe, just as he had intended. When she heard the frightened voices, Sakura found herself comforting the winds. It amazed her when she saw the gusts begin to weaken, and her hand gently touched the edge of the twister and she spoke in slow gentle words.

"It's all right. There's nothing to be afraid of. Could you calm down enough to let me out?" she said. After a few moments, her sweet words seemed to calm it enough to eventually dissipate.

Syaoran and Naraku momentarily stopped the fight to stare in awe. They were surprised to hear her thank the wind.

"…She can talk to the wind?" Naraku muttered. Syaoran wasn't quite sure what to say. He was even more shocked when he heard a voice speak in his head. He recognized the voice almost immediately. The white wolf? Moreover, Naraku and the voice seemed to say the same thing at the same time. The words left Syaoran confused and curious.

"_She's like __**her**__." _

Syaoran's thoughts pondered on whom this 'her' could be, but before he could think any more, he felt the sharp pain in his chest.

Lilover131: How was that? I tried to make it a longer chapter since I always keep you all waiting so long, and because it is getting nearer to the climax. Sorry if the ending of the chapter was abrupt. Anyways, I'll try to get the next chapter up soon. The new marching band season started, so I will be pretty busy. But I won't let it get in the way of the story! I promise you guys that it WILL be finished, no matter what! See you later!


	42. The will to live and protect

Lilover131: . I'm sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sorry this took so long! Here it is. Enjoy!

**Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Forty-two: The will to live and protect**

Sakura was very confused as to what just happened. She had spoken to wind, which had never happened before, and when she got through the tormented twister, Syaoran and Naraku were looking at her very strangely. Moreover, Naraku's words that were comparing her to some other 'her' confused her even further. After a few moments, Sakura did not care to piece the thoughts together into a hypothesis when Syaoran's hand began to clutch his chest in pain. Sakura recognized this action almost immediately. It was the spirits' doing.

"Syaoran!" she cried out. Her feet carried her a few steps before she lifted into flight and flew down the rest of the clearing. Naraku was so absorbed by Sakura's sudden resemblance to 'her' that he didn't even notice Syaoran until he fell to his knees beside him. Once he did however, a wicked grin planted on his face. The emerald-eyed girl a few feet away nearly felt her heart stop. She had to hurry or Naraku would get exactly what he wanted! Swiftly, the man's black blade came tumbling down towards the distressed boy. The white feathery wings created by the 'FLY' flapped strongly to reach its goal in time. As Sakura became nearer, she pulled out another 'Sakura card'.

"SWORD!!!" she yelled. Her staff began to glow and her magic swirled around it as it morphed into its sword form. The black blade approached closer to Syaoran's head, but it never reached. The blow was obstructed by the protection of both Sakura and Syaoran's sword. The boy had reacted quickly enough to protect himself, but now his odds were better with his beloved by his side as well. Though he managed to react, he seemed to still struggle with the sting that was ailing him. This time it wasn't just pain. It felt as if… something was trying to get out of him. His weakening hold was obvious to Naraku, and he began to push down on the two harder. Surprising though, the man soon withdrew a few feet away. He seemed to enjoy the boys' suffering.

"It seems that the dark spirit remembers 'her'," Naraku said. The boy was in too much pain to respond. The demonic man seemed to laugh. Sakura tried to comfort Syaoran, but it seemed her new healing abilities could not help this. His mind was clouded with agony from whatever emotional pain was caused from the dark spirit's memories, and Naraku's voice seemed to only irritate him more.

"Does it hurt? Is it excruciating?" he asked mockingly. Syaoran felt a fire light up within him and he glared at the man with that intensity in his eyes.

"SHUT UP!" he yelled angrily. Lightning formed around him and began to shoot out at Naraku, though they did not seem to affect his new barrier. In fact, the man seemed even happier. The fire welling up inside him was becoming extremely painful and overwhelming. He wasn't sure how long he could hold it in for. His anger towards the evil man was like kindling. Suddenly, Sakura seemed to yelp in surprise when one of the small lightning bolts around him shocked her. Within moments, the flame inside him seemed to cool and fade out like Sakura's pain was a bucket of water. The sudden relief made him gasp for breath. Sakura was both shocked and relieved at the same time.

"Are you all right, Syaoran?" she asked him slowly. He took a deep intake of breath before nodding. Then, he looked to her in worry.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" he asked. Sakura shook her head. She was completely unharmed. The shock she took maybe startled her more than hurt her. The boy sighed.

"You're pathetic. Both of you are absolutely _pathetic,_" Naraku said with a tone of utter loathing. Both Sakura and Syaoran glared back in confusion. The demonic-like man was clenching his fists so tightly that they almost began to bleed.

"Who is 'her'?" the boy asked suddenly. Syaoran had gotten straight to the point. Naraku laughed in amusement.

"You two don't know _anything_, do you?" he concluded. The two didn't know how exactly to answer that. After all, they thought they knew a bit, but now they felt completely lost.

"It doesn't really surprise me that your idiotic father didn't tell you anything about the curse, or even the story behind it. That is why his own stupidity got him killed," Naraku taunted. Syaoran would've charged at him in response to the insult to his deceased father, but a light touch from Sakura urged him to wait.

"However, you're no better than your father. He died to protect you. After all, had he not used that spell to keep me away, he probably would've lived." Syaoran cringed. Would his father really have lived if he hadn't done that spell to protect him? Suddenly, Naraku formed a magical black chain with his hand and it lassoed around the boys' leg. With swift force by the man's hand and pull of the chain, he was thrown roughly into a tree nearby. Sakura started to run towards him, but Naraku grabbed her by the arm. She was then held by the evil man with the blade-bladed sword next to her neck. She fought desperately to get out of his hold, but she was tranquilized by a bite on her wrist. The venom kept her conscious, but immobile. Sakura felt sick with the feeling of Naraku's magic flowing in her veins, and an even colder feeling came through her when she heard his voice speak in her head.

"_I want you to see the little wolf's downfall,"_ the voice spoke. Slowly, the man's head turned back towards Syaoran, who was now recovering from the impact of the tree. He opened his eyes with blurry vision at first. When his vision cleared, he paled at the sight of his beloved in danger.

"Sakura!" he cried out. He stood up to run towards her, but the chain that was still wrapped around his leg pulled his legs out from underneath him. He fell to the ground again with a thud. He tried to use an ofuda, but no magic would come out. He was too weak. The boy could not even use his sword. After all, he was too far away from the man to get a swipe, and if he stood, he would fall again. The chain probably wouldn't allow him to fly either. Syaoran attempted to pull the chain off. Naraku would not allow this. He sent sparks of black lightning down the chain and shocked the boy. Syaoran cried out in pain.

"You are weak. Your father _died_ for you, and yet you can't even protect yourself. You can't even protect the ones you love," Naraku said with a devious grin as he pressed the sword lightly against Sakura's neck.

"S-Stop!" Syaoran muttered. He could not move. He was frozen with fear; this blasted fear that plagued him constantly. Syaoran felt this every time he saw his loved ones in pain or in danger; the fear of losing them…

"You are a waste of your father's life. And you seem to even be well aware of that. You see how your family is sad without him around. You can't even stand to see your grandmother, because you know you remind her of the pain. You remind her of what she lost. And for what? A pathetic boy who doesn't even have the strength to protect the girl he loves the most?" Naraku stated. Every word he had said hurt the boy like a knife. Sakura tried to tell the boy that none of it was true, but the venom would not allow her to speak.

"But…I didn't even know…" Syaoran muttered. A grin planted itself on the evil mans' features.

"You can't possibly say you didn't notice that there was something _different _about you compared to everyone else? You didn't think it was strange that you were able to sense things that most others could not? You didn't think it was strange that you had an almost impossible amount of magic for your age? You always knew there was something wrong with you. You just didn't confirm it until that day when your father died. After that, you noticed strange things would happen occasionally. You would lose control once in a while. Sometimes, you would even hurt people unintentionally whenever your emotions got out of hand. That is why you used to be so distant from people." Syaoran was almost speechless.

"How did you know..?" he started. It made sense now. The reason Naraku stayed in this forest was because he was staying close. He had been watching him for all these years…waiting. Did he even follow him to Japan?

"Your curse not only affects you, but everyone around you as well. And now they will suffer because of _**you**_," Naraku said. He lifted the sword a bit until it was under chin and jawbone. The man prepared for a clean slice that would surely kill her. Syaoran stood up again to stop the man from hurting her, but as expected, he was brought down again by the tug of the chain. Quickly, the boy recovered and began to crawl since he could not stand up again without falling. Every time he inched forward with the little strength he had left, the chain would send round after round of painful shocks throughout his body and wings. Naraku seemed to be amused. By the time Syaoran had gotten a few feet away, he had collapsed from exhaustion. His body shivered from the electric assault, and he weakly grabbed onto the grass near Naraku's foot.

"…P-please…don't…hurt her…" he whispered. Naraku laughed.

"You brought this on yourself by continuing to exist. All I tried to do was end your suffering, my suffering, and the suffering of everyone involved with you.

"Please...just… don't hurt her…" the boy pleaded. He's was running out of options, and he was starting to believe that just giving himself up would save the ones he loved and stop the suffering.

"_Don't…Don't surrender!"_ said a voice in his mind. Syaoran recognized this as the white wolf. His white feathered wings spread out and began to lift him off of the ground. Syaoran did not seem to have control over them. All he could do was watch as his hand unconsciously grabbed the chain around his leg and sent sparks of his own back at Naraku. The man cried out angrily in pain and threw Sakura down harshly.

"Impertinent little brat!" yelled Naraku. In response, the man formed many chains of the same around Syaoran's leg and shot them in his direction. The boy's entire body was ensnared by the chains and was suddenly bound to the tree behind him. Syaoran tried to move, but the chains allowed no movement. All of the black binders sent electric agony throughout his system, and the boy couldn't help but scream. Naraku walked slowly towards the boy before grabbing his neck with brutal force. Sakura lay on the ground like a ragdoll. She could see everything but do nothing to stop it. Tears began to flow from her eyes. With much mental effort, she managed to say one word.

"…Syaoran…" she whispered almost too quietly to be heard. Naraku brought his mouth next to the boy's ear and slowly spoke in an ominous tone.

"It is time for the suffering to end. You will die."

Naraku stood a few feet back and prepared to blade to pierce the boy in the heart. Syaoran stared blankly. It was over. He would die here. A part of him was scared to die, but the other was hopeful that his death would perhaps save others. As if in slow motion, the blades' tip began to charge at his heart. He closed his eyes in anticipation. As it happened many times before, he did not feel the blade reach. He heard someone else's scream. Syaoran's eyes opened in a flash, and he could not believe what he saw. His mother stood in front of him. The black blade had pierced through her stomach. The pale woman held the blade that impaled her with her hands. The blood dripped off of the wound and from her now bloody palms. She hunched over in pain, but kept a firm hold on the blade while glaring at Naraku. With much trouble, she spoke.

"I will not let you take away my son as well, demon," she said.

Magic flew from her hands and through the sword. Naraku was suddenly entrapped in an inferno of flames. In reaction, he pulled the sword out of Yelan's slim form and allowed more blood to be spilt. With pain and weakness, Yelan struggled to keep standing and eventually fell to the ground roughly. Syaoran stared in shock at his mother on the ground. Eriol and Kohaku ran into the clearing and cried out in worry.

"YELAN!!" they both yelled. Syaoran couldn't say anything. He could not believe this had happened. He would _not _believe this had happened. His mind began to drift to a distant memory. This memory replayed a moment shortly after his father died.

"_Syaoran, it's dinner time," called Feimei from the door to the Li mansion. Syaoran was training all day and refused to come inside. _

_"I'm not hungry," he replied. His eldest sister sighed. _

_"You haven't eaten in days, Syaoran. You must be hungry by now," she said. The young boy shook his head. _

_"I'm not hungry," he stated again. Yelan watched through the window as her son continued to train even though he was obviously exhausted. He needed to eat soon. All this training was not healthy for him. With determination, she headed outside to give it a try herself and ushered Feimei back inside. _

_"Syaoran…you need to stop this. None of this is healthy…" she said. The boy stopped moving for a moment and gazed to his mother with blank eyes. His eyes were so blank that Yelan nearly cried. It seemed as if his soul was almost completely lost. _

_"I don't care about being healthy. I want to see Otousan," he said. Yelan gasped in realization. Was he trying to work himself to death to see Kyo again? _

_"W-what makes you think training like this will help?" she asked hesitantly. The boy didn't answer. However, she knew very well how this would kill him. If he didn't eat, he would eventually die, but by overworking himself he was speeding up the process. It would be a slow painful death. Her thoughts were suddenly halted and panicked when Syaoran suddenly collapsed to the ground. _

_"Syaoran!" she cried out in worry. The boy was breathing heavily, and when Yelan felt his body, it was hot and feverish. Immediately, she got him to his room and placed a cold cloth on his head. She did all she could for him while he slept. However, she would still have to convince him to eat once he woke up. Finally, he came to. _

_"W-what..? Where am I?" he said with a confused, but tired expression. Yelan took hold of her child's hand. _

_"You're in your room. You collapsed," she said. Syaoran gazed blankly into her eyes. _

_"Mother…I think I saw father…"he whispered. Yelan couldn't help but widen her eyes in shock. _

_"He told me….that I had to go back….that you were waiting for me…" he said. Syaoran's eyes then gazed to his mother who clutched his hand tightly in hers. _

_"…I guess he was right…" he asked. Yelan nodded and gave a small smile. _

_"I just wanted to see father again…so I could apologize…" the boy said slowly and quietly. The woman's smile soon faded. _

_"Apologize for what?" she asked. Syaoran clutched the blanket with his other hand. _

_"I want to say that I'm sorry I got him killed," he said. Yelan said nothing. _

_"…I saw him…but he didn't seem very happy to see me...I don't blame him for…"_

_Syaoran was suddenly hushed by his mother's slender finger. _

_"He died because he loved you so much. He was willing to give his life to protect you, and don't you ever believe that for one second he didn't whole-heartedly want to." _

_"…But why? Why?" he could only mutter. Yelan spoke delicately and beautifully. _

_"It was not yet your time to leave this world. Neither was it a few hours ago when you saw him," she said. Syaoran looked up to his mother in wonder. _

_"Is that why he looked so sad?" he said. Yelan nodded. _

_"He wanted you to live. He loves you and your sisters' more than anything in the entire world. He wants you to live until fate decides so, and leaving the world by your own hands is not the destiny of humans."_

_The woman caressed her boy's face gently. _

_"You feel sad about your father's death. However, if you were to die, you would create that same sadness. When you end your own life, you are purposely causing sadness to everyone who cares about you. We all love you so much, Syaoran. If you were to die, the pain would be unbearable." Syaoran thought deeply about her words. _

_"Syaoran, I would gladly die for you as well. I would not hesitate to protect you as your father did. However, I wouldn't want you to feel responsible. I would want you to be __**happy**__." Syaoran seemed to be having difficulties hiding his emotions. He looked as if he was fighting off tears. _

_"It's so hard…how can you be happy without that person?" he asked. Yelan smiled. _

_"Someday, you __**will **__be with him when the right time comes. However, when you do finally get to speak to him, don't apologize," she said. Syaoran tried hard to compose himself. _

_"What do I say then?" he asked. Yelan pulled Syaoran into a tight embrace. _

_"You __**thank **__him. Thank him for giving you life. Thank him for saving your life. And thank him for being such an important part of your life." She said. _

_"After all, you were an important part of his life…his baby boy…__**my **__baby boy…" she whispered. Syaoran could no longer hold in his tears. He suddenly burst into tears and embraced his mother tightly back. He sobbed there for what seemed to be a while. He had to release all the sadness bottled up inside of him. Later, she brought him dinner. _

_"Every time you eat, you have decided to live another day," she said to him. She pushed the food towards him and urged him to eat. Syaoran gazed at the food carefully and realized that he wanted to live. He wanted to try and live a happy life…in thanks to his father for saving him. In thanks, he finally ate. _

His mother had said she would do the same for him as his father did. And now…here she was on the ground bleeding. Syaoran felt his breathing stop for a moment before his words came out in an agonized scream.

"MOTHER!!!!!!!!"

Lilover: dun dun dunnnnnnn! Cliffy…again….Sorry guys. Lol. Anyways, I'm so sorry for the wait. So many distracting things in the world now. I'll get the next chapter up as soon as I can.


	43. Shadow

Lilover131: Okay…so it's been a long time. Happy belated birthday to SakuraSou1307, and happy fifth anniversary! Thanks to all of you that reviewed and asked me to continue! You are all an inspiration! I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

**Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Forty-three: Shadow**

Syaoran struggled frantically in his binds with anger shining in his eyes and expression. He was infuriated to the point that his feelings were almost tangible to those around him, including Yelan, who bled onto the soil beneath her. She maintained consciousness, but her eyes were shut tightly in pain.

"Mother! Mother!"

The boy winced slightly at the twinge of pain he had from fighting his iron bonds, but he continued despite the intense discomfort. The only thoughts going through his mind at that moment were getting to his mother and saving her a mostly likely deadly wound, and he didn't seem to care that he was in trouble himself. Sakura watched Syaoran with pained emerald eyes and glanced to Yelan in fear. The woman was still alive, but it was so difficult to tell just how much longer she had. Sakura desperately tried to move, and after a good few minutes, she nearly smiled in success at finally being able to move a finger. With a new gleam of hope, Sakura focused as much as she could to move.

'_Sakura cards…please help me…help me to save Syaoran and Li-san…'_

The girl's heart pleaded desperately as her body shook from the effort she was putting into simply moving her arms and legs. The soft pink glow of the Sakura cards became visible from within her pocket, and Eriol immediately began chanting in, poised for attack and his attention directed towards Naraku. The man hissed after the red-orange flames died off, and his skin and cloak were singed but not significantly damaged. Naraku's eyes glared at the woman on the ground before a dark smirk curled on his lips.

"Foolish woman. You have doomed yourself and saved no one."

Yelan opened her dark eyes and gazed up to Naraku, her pale hands clutching at her throbbing wound. The man watched her amusedly as he licked the crimson blood off the blade victoriously. The Chinese woman managed to mutter words laced with hatred and spite.

"You horrible creature…"

Naraku laughed and removed the charred black robes on his body, revealing his rather pale and muscular upper body. Slowly, he raised and prepared his blade to finish what he had started. Syaoran writhed underneath the chains, growling almost ferociously as if he were a wild animal. His eyes seemed to burn with some unknown fire, and the world seemed to grow very quiet save for Syaoran's enraged screams. Naraku ceased from stabbing the boy, watching him intently before lowering the blade, a dark smile on his face.

"It seems the beast is finally coming out to play," said the man, his gaze turning to Kohaku, who was wide-eyed in distress.

The young wolf form wavered and shuddered as it rapidly lost its strength before tumbling almost lifelessly to the ground. Eriol was quick to rush to the wolf's aid after first giving a worried glance towards Yelan.

'_This situation is bad!'_ he thought to himself as he looked to all of his fallen friends.

"Kohaku! What's wrong?"

Kohaku continued to tremble before muttering in a soft, almost inaudible voice. Eriol gasped

"…My brother…Syaoran is losing control…"

In unison, both Kohaku and Syaoran cried out in agony as Naraku grinned in amusement. Sakura, still on the ground, stared wide eyed in concern for her love. Eriol pondered for a moment before swiftly rushing forward to stop the amber-eyed boy in his rage. However, before he was allowed to reach anyone, Ai, Lin, and Shui leapt down from the trees, a menacing and threatening expression on their features as they approached the dark-haired boy.

"Where do you think you are going, little boy?"

Ai swiftly moved with a dangerous elegance and with a sudden whooshing sound, a chain had been tightly wrapped around Eriol's arm. The young reincarnation of Clow struggled against the chain before sending a flurry of wind in the minion's direction, lifting them off their feet and keeping them away from himself. However, the girls were quick to recover and surrounded him once again. The chain remained coiled around his limb, and the dark haired boy did his best to try and wrench himself free. The three minions licked their lips, watching him struggle before they made their move, leaping forward like gazelles.

The sky grew dark, an intimidating reminder of the day Kyo had died, and Yelan felt the world grow colder. The dark clouds were starting to become fuzzy looking, and her soft, black hair was splayed out over her body, concealing most of the wound. However, it was undeniable that the injury was incredibly bad as crimson pools of blood formed larger puddles beneath her. Yelan felt her breathing increase greatly, her body shaking from the pain as she fought with every fiber of her being to stay conscious. Yelan barely noticed that her hair had come undone, and she thought to herself that it only seemed fitting to die the style her husband thought looked best for her. For a moment, she thought about ending the pain and letting herself go…wouldn't it be nice to just go and be with her husband again? Yes, that sounded wonderful, but her almost lifeless eyes caught sight of her only son. Syaoran was in such turmoil that she knew leaving was not part of her destiny. She needed to live, not just for herself, but for him.

The wind began to pick up all around them as Syaoran writhed in pain. The boy screamed as he felt a sensation similar to his heart being torn apart. He had felt this before, but never had he felt it to this extent, and it was absolutely excruciating. Despite the agony, he became terrified as he felt his vision begin to blur, his mind feeling as if it was falling into an abyss of darkness. Syaoran wondered what would happen if he fell, and he had a feeling he would become completely lost if he did.

Kohaku thrashed around, her situation rather similar. The wolf cub whimpered in pain, trying desperately to stand, but the tiny legs wobbled until they gave in. The pup came crashing to the ground, falling unconscious immediately upon impact with the ground. Suddenly, all of the wind ceased, and the thunders stopped.

There was a mysterious and eerie silence, and it did not go unnoticed. Everyone, even Ai, Lin, and Shui stopped their actions to see what had happened. Eriol glanced nervously to Kohaku before moving to watch Syaoran. His senses caught the shadows quickly invading the boy's aura, and his body had fallen limp in the chains. The hairs on the back of Eriol's neck rose as the dark powers grew stronger and stronger until he got into a defensive position, ready for sudden attacks. Syaoran could no longer be felt, and the power that replaced him was so incredible that even Naraku backed away slightly. Sakura gasped, tears burning at her eyes as she tried to find even a trace of her beloved, but he was nowhere to be found.

"Syaoran…"

The girl's voice was strained with worry. The minions laughed victoriously as Ai pulled Eriol forward by the chain.

"You see that, Clow? You're all too late now. He's go-"

Before Ai finished her sentence, a great flash erupted and struck down on her with such force, she barely managed to scream. Frantically, the two other sisters ran to her aid, but they were met with the same fate, causing Eriol to watch in horror as they were burnt to crisps. Their screams made him wince, but he was quick to call forward a protective spell to stop the electricity from crawling up the chain and hurting him as well. The charred minions fell to the ground in heaps before their bodies disintegrated, leaving nothing but three dead snakes. The chain soon disappeared as well, and Eriol quickly looked to the cause.

Sakura stared with wide emerald eyes as the chains binding Syaoran suddenly shattered, falling to the ground with a loud clinking sound. The boy fell forward slightly before standing straight up, his body moving sluggishly as if it had not moved in years. Naraku watched with anticipation, his body tensing with excitement as he completely disregarded the death of his minions. Syaoran stood in place for a moment, his bangs casting a shadow over his face, which was lowered towards the ground. When he finally did raise his head up, everyone gasped in realization. A wind gently moved across his body, revealing blood red eyes that were not his. They held such intensity that Sakura shivered slightly at the danger they held.

Naraku could not contain his smirk. He had succeeded in awakening the dark spirit, and now the opportunity for him to get what he wanted was near. However, to make sure he did, he had to act as quickly as possible before the dark spirit became aware and unleashed its wrath. The man rushed forward, his sword in hand as he prepared to make his first and final blow. Syaoran's body seemed to stay still even despite the danger and continued to stand its ground until Naraku suddenly stopped, gasping at an unseen force impacting his abdomen. A pillar of earth seemed to rise from the ground, hitting Naraku out of the path and clear up into air, sending him tumbling back down with a sickening thud. The man groaned and glared back at the boy, who was now smirking at him in amusement.

Naraku growled in annoyance before sending fiery red beams of magic in his direction. Yelan, Sakura, and Eriol cried out in worry before the magic seemed to split and move around him like a fork in the road. An eerie and almost playful laugh escaped the boy's lips, and Naraku was fuming. Once again, he was up on his feet and charging with an inhuman speed towards him. Like Yelan, Sakura was helpless to stop it and reached out her hand, screaming in a warning for him to move out of the way.

"Syaoran!"

The dark spirit possessing Syaoran's body seemed to become distracted for a brief moment, the red eyes glancing momentarily to her before he was tackled to the ground by Naraku. Sakura cried out again in worry, her body shaking and struggling to move with the paralyzing poison moving through her veins. The man raised his blade to strike him, but the boy quickly regained his focus and let out another laugh before he seemed to catch fire. Naraku backed away from him to avoid the flames, and the Syaoran stood back up, the red hot fire dancing at his feet without harm. Eriol adjusted his glasses to carefully observe the power, and he seemed impressed.

"Naraku…you're disappointing me…must you waste my time?"

The boy's voice was calm and taunting, enraging the man. It did not sound like Syaoran at all. Sure, he had the same voice, but there was simply no sign of him in there.

"I'm going to kill you! I'll never forgive you for what you did, Shadow!"

Suddenly, the dark spirit seemed to have a name. Naraku had called him Shadow, and the way he spoke inclined that there was much more to the situation than the desire for power. He did not just want the overwhelmingly strong abilities…he wanted revenge. Shadow stared back as if irritated, and a giant gust of wind began to swirl around Naraku ferociously. The man growled angrily as he struggled against the winds that seemed intent on pulling him apart. A crunch of bones dislocating could be heard, and everyone could not help but wince as they watched the man cry out in pain. Eriol made a move to stop the slaughter, but the winds were so strong, he was pushed aside like a piece of paper. Sakura watched in horror as the body of her beloved Syaoran stared so intensely in focus at the tornado being used to kill. She could not bear to watch him do such a horrible thing. It was not in his nature to kill, and she would not let him lose himself in such a way.

"SYAORAN, STOP!"

The Sakura cards let out a burst of pink light in her pocket before it enveloped her entire body. The girl felt the poison become cleaned from her body, and energy seemed to flow into her. Quickly, she was on her feet, and she ran to the boy, her arms instantly reaching out to him. Upon hearing her voice, he gasped and gazed to the girl with her outstretched arms. Without stopping her, he was embraced, and his body seemed to tense before the winds stopped and Naraku fell with a great force. Sakura gripped at the cloth of Syaoran's shirt, looking up at him with desperate, tearful green eyes.

"….Stop…don't kill him…"

Shadow's red eyes stared back at hers, wide in shock before his hand moved to caress her cheek, as if she was something surreal. Sakura blinked a bit in confusion at the touch, but she continued to plead, hoping that it would help to cease the attacks.

"…You're like her," he whispered. Once again, a person defined as 'her' was mentioned, and Sakura could not help but notice the way his eyes softened. They were not the eyes of her Syaoran, but they were far less intimidating like this. Without warning, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pressed his lips to hers.

Lilover131: How was that? Sorry it took so long! I hope you all liked it, and please review! I'll try to get the next chapter up soon!


	44. Hope

Lilover131: HEEEELLLLOOOOOO. I'm back!

**Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Forty-four: Hope**

Everything seemed to stand still in the strange moment that overcame everyone. It was clear that even though Syaoran seemed to be standing before them, he was not really himself. However, the love that was shown in that single kiss was undeniable. Sakura was frozen in shock as the lips moved against her own, and the boy pulled away, his expression softer than it had been before she interfered. The girl's face turned red as her fingers shakily moved to her lips in disbelief.

"You…you just…" she stuttered as Shadow tilted his head curiously at her reaction before the girl shook her head.

"…Ehhh…never mind that. Where's Syaoran? Where is he?"

His expression turned blank and he stared at her with deep crimson eyes.

"Why do you care? That boy is nothing…" he spoke quietly. His voice showed little care for the well-being of his host and Sakura bit her lip in frustration.

"He is not!"

Shadow smirked and moved to grab her again, much against her will. He ignored Eriol as he stared and looked at them with uncertainty. What could he do now? Sakura was so close to him, and if he hurt him, he would hurt Syaoran as well…if he was still there. The boy leaned forward to speak into her ear.

"You seem so sure…well, allow me to inform you…he is just a shell meant to seal me…this body rightfully belongs to me," he whispered. His fingers toyed with her auburn locks, letting the soft strands curl around before playfully letting them fall.

"He is a foolish boy…you'd be much better off with someone else…"

Suddenly, a loud sound cracked through the night air and Eriol let out a silent gasp in shock as he saw Shadow hold his cheek with wide eyes. Sakura frowned and lowered her hand, her breath heavy in anger.

"Syaoran is not foolish! He's kind, and brilliant, and wonderful, and I love him!"

Her hands moved to grip his shoulders, her star staff falling carelessly to the ground as tears streamed down her face in a storm of emotions. Her voice was strained as she cried out. Yelan, although barely conscious, could not help but gaze in amazement at her courage and love.

"Give him back! GIVE HIM BACK!"

Shadow sneered in disapproval and harshly pushed her back to the ground. His fists were tightly clenched in anger at having been rejected. Eriol became very concerned for her safety, however before he could act, two familiar auras were torpedoing through the clearing. Kero and Yue flew forward to protect her, and despite Sakura's screams for them to stay back, they continued on. Shadow yelled in fury and sent the two guardians tumbling through the air and into the trees with a large gust of wind.

Sakura ran to them immediately after picking up her star staff, as did the others who had been trailing not too far behind them. Tomoyo, Meilin, and Touya ran in to assist until they saw Yelan's body a bit away. Meilin shrieked in horror at the sight of all the blood and rushed to her aunt's side. The Chinese girl cried hysterically and Tomoyo held her hand by her face in worry. Touya and Eriol moved to check on Kero and Yue, relieved to see that they had not been seriously injured, and Eriol cradled Kohaku in his arms. His gaze trailed back and forth between Sakura and Yelan, and his voice came out in the deep tone he often used when expressing the seriousness of the situation, which was quick to get the girl's attention.

"Sakura…"

Sapphire blue eyes stared cautiously at the furious brunette boy, who seemed to be glaring at him in spite.

"…I'm going to distract Syaoran for a bit…while I'm doing that, you need to heal Yelan-san…but be careful…it seems Naraku is back on his feet…"

Sakura's eyes went wide as she realized that the dark-haired man was no longer in the same spot he had been before, and it was a wonder how this had gone unnoticed by both them and Shadow. Sakura nodded in understanding, refraining from wiping away the tears that she knew would help the injured woman.

Touya inspected the white guardian, and Yue retorted with constant reassurances that he was fine. After he had annoyed him enough, Touya glanced to the angered Syaoran, or so he thought.

"What's wrong with the brat?" he asked. Eriol frowned and looked back down the unconscious wolf cub.

"The dark spirit inside Syaoran has gotten out…we need to help him get control back fast, or else…"

There was no need for Eriol to continue on with the sentence. All knew what was to happen if nothing was done, and the air grew tense. After all that had happened, to lose him now would be a true loss; the first loss that they would have ever really experienced. Everything had always turned out all right in the end of every conflict they fought through…but what would they do if things did not end as expected?

"Everything will be all right…definitely…" Sakura said. All eyes turned to her as she flashed a big smile. It brought hope that, like always, that her invincible spell would prove successful. With a show of determination, she stood on her feet and dug through her pocket for a suitable star card. Shadow watched her with interest, his frown still intact as Eriol passed on Kohaku to Touya's care. Before she could pull out the card to use, Eriol rushed forward with his sun staff in hand towards the boy. Shadow was prepared and attempted to swipe at the reincarnated sorcerer with his blade, narrowly missing his head.

"Get away from me!" he shouted. Eriol smirked and blocked each swing of the sword with his staff, a loud clanging of metal caused from the impacts.

"I'm afraid not, my cute little descendent"

He hoped the words would stir Syaoran within, but all it resulted in was a cry of anger from the boy, and he attacked with more energy than before. Taking the opportunity, Sakura pulled out a single pink card and raised it to the air in a swirl of magic.

"DASH!"

In a flash, she had moved to the other side of the clearing, where Yelan lie on the ground, and Sakura knelt before her, wasting no time to help her.

"Li-san…It's going to be all right…I'm here to help you…"

The girl let the remaining tears drip onto the torrents of blood, watching as some it of drizzled off to the side, stained in red. However, a light glow enveloped the Chinese woman, and she seemed to react with a small gasp. After a few moments of great anticipation, she sat up, her breath steady and much less labored than it had been just seconds earlier. Her ebony hair covered her face until she smiled up at Sakura and placed a gentle kiss upon her cheek.

"Thank you, Sakura-san…"

Everyone, especially Meilin, smiled with relief and with the knowledge that she was now in no imminent danger, Tomoyo traced her fingers over the blood-stained garbs before cradling her face in her hand with a heavy sigh.

"I'm so glad to see you're all right, Li-san…but it's such a shame that your robes were ruined…they were so beautiful…"

The girls giggled at Tomoyo's comment before turning back to the matter at hand. All had looked just in time to see the flash of magic being used between the two sorcerers in battle, and despite Eriol's known strength, he seemed to be struggling somewhat. Sakura knew it was time to help her friend, and before Shadow could hit him, the girl called upon shield to protect him, as well as the others around them. The brunette boy glared and pointed his blade in her direction, his teeth bared in rage.

"Stop! You don't need to fight!" she cried out. All of this fighting was so pointless, and she could not stand by while someone she cared about got hurt. Without listening to her plea, he sped up to her with intention to kill, and Sakura clenched her eyes tight as she waited for the impact. He moved so fast, she did not have enough time to react; it was incredible really. However, the impact never came, and she was shocked to see the blade not even an inch from her head, the boy looking quite torn as his hands shook around the hilt. He winced as if in pain and appeared to be struggling with whatever was going on in his body.

"This is none of your business! Stay out!" he yelled to someone who did not seem to be present. Sakura was very confused by this reaction until it finally dawned on her. Was Syaoran trying to break through?

"Syaoran! Come back! I know you can do it!" she cheered. Everyone around began to do the same and called out to Syaoran, hoping that in some way, his heart might be led back to the surface. The voices seemed to have a bit of an effect, and the boy's breath became heavier. Sakura's hand slowly moved up to touch his with a gentleness that would not frighten him.

"Syaoran…" she whispered. For a brief moment, she thought she had seen his eyes flash back to their usual brilliant amber, but all expressions changed completely as a familiar and almost forgotten aura charged in without warning. Naraku came in from the side, blade ready, and just as he was about to stab the boy, eyes flashed back to red and counteracted with an offense that was even faster. The silver blade that had been passed down in the Li family for generations penetrated through the man's abdomen, striking him clean through. Shadow smirked as a bit of blood stained his face, and he was quick to pull the sword out and send the man to the ground in a heap. Sakura's emerald eyes were wide in horror, and she covered her mouth with her hands in distress.

"You sold your soul for this? You are pathetic, Naraku…" the boy laughed as his foot came crunching down on the wounded man's chest. Naraku hissed in pain, but smirked even as he was quickly approaching death.

"No…" he whispered , "I sold my soul for _her_"

Shadow seemed angered by this and raised his sword in preparation for another attack, but Naraku did not seem fazed.

"Go ahead…finish me off…it won't do anything…I may be going to hell, but it's only a matter of time before you join me…you killed Himiko…"

With a scream of fury, Shadow plunged the sword into his chest and ended the man's life. Then, the body evaporated into dust and disappeared into the wind without a trace. It was if Naraku had never existed. The man who had caused them so much pain and torture was now dead. Sakura frowned, since she could sense that Naraku had once been a good man. Perhaps it was unfortunate that things ended in such a way, but despite that danger being gone, they were by no means safe.

Shadow was in great emotional turmoil, and the ground began to shake beneath them. Earth cracked and shifted as the wind gushed at painful speeds. From the ground erupted bursts of flames and lightning bolts crashed down from the sky. It was a terrifying situation, and in a way, everyone felt that this was perhaps the end. Yelan swayed her fan in a strong incantation and Eriol muttered his own spells, but neither of them were strong enough to dispel the disastrous power of nature that was being unleashed. Yue formed an arrow of electric blue magic in his hands, but was halted as a soft voice rang through his head as well as the others who tried to oppose Shadow.

"_You can't…"_ said Kohaku, who was starting to come to. Although thoroughly exhausted, she managed to awaken for a moment in order to warn them.

"_The magic being used is even more ancient than yours, reincarnation of Clow…it is very powerful and sensitive to emotions…your spells will not work…"_

Yelan frowned deeply as she watched her son hover into the air along the wind, his body being shielded almost to invisibility.

"Then what do we do?" she asked. She would not leave her only son in such a state. No one could understand what had happened to evoke such feelings in the first place, so how on earth could they stop it? Sakura focused intently from the ground, watching with wide green eyes until she saw something peculiar. A single tear fell down Shadow's stone-like face and tumbled to the ground soundlessly.

"He's in pain…" she whispered. Without a second thought, she called upon the power of flight and moved into the dangerous gusts. Like before, she tried to speak to the wind, but it was in as much distress as Shadow, and it did little for her in the end. Despite the difficulties, she pushed through, ignoring the small cuts that began to form on her entire body from the painful slices of wind. Her friends and family called out to her in concern, but she was too far to give up now. Shadow stared in confusion at her actions.

"What are you doing? Are you mad? You'll die if you keep trying!" he yelled. Strangely, he sounded both concerned and irritated, and Sakura simply smiled even though she was in great pain. Her voice came out quietly, but Shadow could hear her even through the loud whistles wind and thunder.

"Because…I have to have hope that everything will be all right…I have to try my best no matter what!"

As she continued, Sakura knew what needed to be done, and she shakily pulled out the one card she knew would be her best shot. The girl pressed the card to her lips in a silent prayer and whispered Syaoran's name before she made her way through. Her arms wrapped tightly around the shell-shocked Shadow, and he gasped as the girl smiled up at him. A pink card floated just above her head and emitted a light that nearly blinded him; it was beautiful, but was a force stronger than he imagined.

"HOPE!" she yelled, and the clearing was engulfed in dazzling light.

Lilover131: There we go! New chapter! FINALLY! *gets to working on new chapter right away* Thanks for reading guys and please review to let me know what you think! I'll get the update up as soon as I can, so please look forward to it!


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